"There's Something About South Jersey"

• South Jersey is:
• Farms and Open Spaces - South Jersey's Core is open space, not a city.  Illus:  MAP - a condenses version of our poster-map.  Jersey Tomato.
• Recreation:  the Shore and More
• Suburban Living:  A Great Place to Raise a Family, Close to the City
• Good Highways, Moderate Congestion
• Is this "sprawl"?
• Planning orthodoxy, as expressed by the State Plan and authors such as Lewis Mumford and David Rusk, favors compact urban development, with a heavy reliance on public transportation.
• An alternative model is Frank Lloyd Wright's vision of "Broadacre City" where every family has an acre of ground, and transportation is by automobiles
• Americans have voted overwhelmingly for the automobile, despite the exhortations of planners, and a new book by James Dunn tells why - automobiles are more convenient
• Dispersed, auto-dependent, suburban commercial development can be attractive, Illustrations:   The Village at Taunton Forge, modern office parks on route 38, etc.
• But of the commercial development in South Jersey is ugly, driven by market forces that reward highly visible businesses. Illus:  Eckerd Drugs on Stokes, contrasted to Farmland. What we need is better design standards, architectural control.
• But what about the City of Camden and other Older Cities?
• Camden began historically as a summer residence in the country for Philadelphia residents
• There is no denying that suburban dispersion has hurt the older cities, but it is too late to undo that history.  The State Plan correctly observes that:  "Restricting growth in rural areas of the State will not make growth occur in the cities.  Restricting growth in rural areas and revitalizing the cities are separate issues and should be dealt with as such."
• Is it true that "Camden is the key to South Jersey's future?"  Or can suburban South Jersey continue to develop and prosper while leaving Camden to decline?
• Reindustrialization on a scale necessary to revive Camden is not going to happen in the forseeable future.
• But there are two alternative visions of Camden's Future, both of which are expressed in the Draft Master Plan for the City of Camden
• "Capitalize on the City's regional access system as the gateway into New Jersey from Philadelphia and as the transportation hub for all of South Jersey to reposition Camden as the business, government, educational, health care, educational and cultural center for the region"
• "The loss of population throughout the City creates opportunities to reduce densities, introduce new contemporary housing types, and increase useable open space in neighborhoods."
• Camden will not become the business hub of the region - South Jersey's business is going to remain dispersed in suburban business parks
• It is becoming one of South Jersey's educational and recreational hubs with resources such as:  the aquarium, ball park, battle ship, music center, Rutgers.  But this needs to be supported with adequate highways, parking, etc., to keep it from infringing on the neighborhoods
• As the city becomes more livable, it could attract more students, young single adults, artists and others who will add to the community.  Rutgers could play a key role here.  Shops and infrastructure are needed.
• The key to Camden's revival is making its neighborhoods more attractive.
• Let's Quit Fighting the American Dream
• Suburban living is popular.  People throughout America agree with the Syracuse, NY resident who said: "The suburbs are the best part of America.  Everybody loves having a decent-size yard and off-street parking. They want breathing room enough that when somebody's alarm clock goes off, it doesn't wake you up" (N.Y. Times, July 28, 2000)
• Syracuse, NY, now has a plan of "de-densifying" or making the city more like the suburbs.  Abandoned or unneeded homes are torn down, giving neighboring homes room for larger yards and garages.
• The people who live in Camden are most interested in improving their own neighborhoods, not in making Camden into an urban hub to satisfy out-dated planning models.
• Our goal should be to make Camden more like the suburbs - a pleasant, safe, attractive place to live and raise a family.
• South Jersey as "Broadacre City."
• Farmland and Open Space Preservation - not to stop "sprawl" but as ends in themselves
• Development of Attractions that Enhance Family and Community life:  ball parks, historical sites, zoos, bowling alleys, swimming lakes, as well as malls, movie theatres, etc.  Survey research will give us info here on what kinds of things people want.  Our poster/map will be very useful here.
• Enforcement of design standards and zoning rules to make commercial strips more attractive.  The improvement of Admiral Wilson Blvd. is a great step in this direction.
• Building on South Jersey's local rule traditions to preserve diversity of communities
• Public transporation as an enhancement to the auto, particularly for commuting into Philadelphia