America in Bloom Visits Downtown Royal Oak
(Downtown Royal Oak, June 30, 2026)
Royal Oak, MI – Advisors from the respected national organization America in Bloom just completed two full days in Downtown Royal Oak. They will provide recommendations in several key areas including community vitality, floral impact, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental initiatives, and celebrating heritage.
Royal Oak was among the communities that participated in a webinar held earlier this year on “Creating Beautiful and Vibrant Communities” with Laura Kunkle, Executive Director of America in Bloom. Through a partnership with Main Street Oakland County, a coordinating program for Main Street America. As a benefit of participating, the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority received a member discount of half the price for a town of similar size population.
Over 380 communities in 44 states have participated in the program over the last 25 years. Many of these had a two-person team of Advisors sent for an in-person evaluation and to provide a written report with metrics.
The Advisors who visited Royal Oak this year were Rodney Barnes, Immediate Past-President of America in Bloom and City Manager of Edmonston, Maryland. Joining him was Joseph Thompson from Washington, DC, who holds a Master’s in Library and Information Science and has over ten years of experience in research, team, and project leadership. They met with businesses, elected officials, and people involved in helping Royal Oak look its best.
A prior team of Advisors visited Royal Oak in 2024 and provided recommendations. Many of these have already had success with implementation, including a project to encourage people to walk their wheels through new signs on sidewalks downtown, a pilot project to fill tree wells with missing tree grates with a permeable material, and installation of a pollinator garden by Sidetrack and Caboose Bookstore on 4th Street and Washington Ave.
Later this year America in Bloom will hold their Symposium & Awards Celebration in Washington, DC, from September 24-26, 2026. Executive Director Isaac D. Kremer, said of the event: “Royal Oak hopes to be well represented there among several hundred communities that have participated in and benefited from this incredible program. Who knows, we might even bring back an award or two for our many accomplishments as a community to make downtown both attractive and livable.”
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