SEPT. 24, 2026

As one of 25 new cities from 20 U.S. states, Dubuque will receive funding and expert support from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and dedicated staff to fund community-led projects that clear vacant lots, reclaim public space, and better lives.

The City of Dubuque has been selected to join “Love Your Block,” an initiative led by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, to launch resident-led projects that improve their cities.

As one of just 25 new local governments from 20 U.S. states to join the latest edition of the program, Dubuque will receive $70,000 to engage residents in efforts that clear vacant lots, reclaim public space, and better their communities, as well as expert support from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation and a dedicated Love Your Block Fellow to support their work—and build trust in local government.

“We are grateful to the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation for this grant,” said Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh. “This program and these funds will enable residents to work together, identify projects they want to see happen, and make a difference in their neighborhoods. I look forward to seeing the resident-led projects that come out of this initiative.”

The City of Dubuque plans to distribute at least two rounds of mini-grants for the development of resident-led neighborhood improvement projects in Census Tract 5, an area which includes portions of the Washington, Point, and North End neighborhoods. Initiatives may include lot cleanups, tree planting, garden restoration, streetscape beautification, and creating small gathering spaces which reduce heat and build community pride.

The new 25 Love Your Block city halls include Albuquerque, NM; Aurora, IL; Birmingham, AL; Chattanooga, TN; Columbia, SC; Deerfield Beach, FL; Dubuque, IA; Eugene, OR; Everett, WA; Frederick, MD; Greensboro, NC; Harlingen, TX; Hoboken, NJ; Honolulu, HI; Jersey City, NJ; La Crosse, WI; Lancaster, PA; Lansing, MI; Macon, GA; Mobile, AL; Newark, NJ; South Fulton, GA; Tulsa, OK; Wilmington, DE; and Winston-Salem, NC.

They join a broader national program that, since its founding in 2009, has helped 50 local governments engage more than 88,000 residents across 33 states to remove more than 7 million pounds of trash, clean over 550,000 square feet of graffiti, create nearly 800 art displays, and transform the areas residents rely on most. These results have also been shown to build ties between city halls and their citizens: a 2021 study by the Urban Institute found that participating Love Your Block municipalities improved social cohesion among residents, increased civic participation, and strengthened relationships between local government and the people it serves.

“Residents often have the clearest view of what their neighborhoods need—and Love Your Block helps mayors and municipalities bring them into the work—and see those ideas through,” Francisca M. Rojas, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins. “That translates to tangible improvements communities want—and that they lead—with their city hall’s support, and shows what happens when local government invites the public in to solve problems and deliver, together.”

For more information, visit publicinnovation.jhu.edu/programs/love-your-block