Bull Conner closed 32 public parks in Birmingham to avoid integration. The RR Park is the first major park with city wide civic engagement to actively participate in the design of  this 20 acre greenspace as a hub integrate north, south, east and west populations of Birmingham for passive recreation. This park sparked a new Baron's baseball stadium, Negro baseball league museum, the transit multi-modal, Amtrak station,  Steam Plant, Rotary Trail and hundreds of new apartments and loft construction in downtown. The City took the lead to hire Tom Leader landscape architect and Tom Martin Urban Economist. This public private partnership consisted of a $12.5 M public investment matched by the private sector investment of $7.5 M led by Friends of the RR District.