Building Momentum
for a Great City
At Great City Mississippi, we believe a healthy, thriving capital city is essential to a stronger Mississippi for all. As we begin 2026, we’re building on a year of meaningful progress aligning leadership, investment, and community energy to move Jackson forward with purpose. 2025 demonstrated what’s possible when public, private, and philanthropic partners work together toward shared goals. Below are a few highlights of the work underway and the momentum carrying us into the new year.
2026 Legislative Session
The 2026 State Legislative Session is now underway, and we are optimistic about continued progress for Jackson and the state as a whole. In 2025, collaboration among the Hinds County legislative delegation, state leaders, and local partners led to the passage of critical legislation focused on improving public safety and quality of life in the capital city.
We’re also encouraged by the launch of a new statewide blight redevelopment initiative led by the Office of the Secretary of State. This program will provide incentives to clean and redevelop vacant, abandoned, or dilapidated properties and represents an important step toward revitalizing communities across Mississippi. More details will be shared as the program rolls out.
Jackson Rising
Jackson Rising continues to serve as a collaborative leadership effort designed to turn investable ideas into action. By bringing together city leaders, institutions, and community organizations, the initiative aligns resources around shared priorities to accelerate visible progress. Over the past several months, more than 300 residents and stakeholders have participated in workshops, meetings, and working sessions contributing time, expertise, and vision to the future of Jackson. This work would not be possible without the support of key funders, including the Community Foundation for Mississippi, Nancy & Ray Neilsen, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Great City Mississippi Foundation is proud to be part of this collective effort and we're excited for what’s ahead.
Clean JXN: Gateway
Beautification Day
We extend our sincere thanks to Mayor John Horhn and Governor Tate Reeves for issuing a call to action to address long-neglected gateways into our capital city.
That call was answered through the first-ever "Gateway Beautification Day," where hundreds of Jacksonians came together to clean, restore, and reimagine key entryways into the city. Volunteers included city officials, community leaders, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, business owners, and residents, demonstrating the power of collective care for place.
Thank you to our partners who made the day possible, including Clean Up JXN, Downtown Jackson Partners, Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, Jackson Leadership Foundation, Keep Jackson Beautiful, First Baptist Jackson, Broadmoor Baptist, and Fondren Church.
2025 STEAMposium
Great City Mississippi is proud to convene forums that bring people together around issues shaping the future of our city and state. The Mississippi STEAMposium gathered leaders in technology, education, healthcare, and business to explore how AI and STEAM innovation can drive economic opportunity and workforce development. Special thanks to C Spire, Amazon Web Services, Visit Jackson, and our many partners and sponsors for making this event possible.
Parks & Trails Forum
The Parks & Trails Forum is a public engagement event connecting civic leaders, designers, nonprofits, and community members for meaningful dialogue on the future of Jackson’s public spaces. We’re grateful to our 2025 host, the Mississippi Children’s Museum, and to our partners including the City of Jackson, Community Foundation for Mississippi, Jackson Heart Foundation, LeFleur Museum District, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, and Visit Jackson.
Building a more Connected Region
Efforts continue to strengthen regional connectivity through expanded parks, trails, and pedestrian infrastructure. These critical economic assets support competitiveness, health, and quality of life. We celebrate recent announcements advancing new connector trails and regional greenway partnerships, including efforts supported by the Jackson Heart Foundation and Museum Trail partners, as well as coordination with state and wildlife agencies to expand access and connectivity. With new projects and crossings on the horizon, 2026 is shaping up to be a transformative year for regional mobility and public space investment.