PHASE II: Land Use and Economic Development:
Strategies for the Revitalization of Camden
Initiating the second phase of the project, a team of urban experts was
recruited to undertake research and analysis of what were deemed essential
aspects of Camden's future development. The research team set out to integrate
in this study a discussion of land use and economic development. But, as
in the instance of the Studio, where the scope was expanded to consider
regional matters, the work of the research team was modified to include
a closer examination of issues that could lead to specific land use and
economic development strategies for Camden. Issues that were explored in
the study included labor force segmentation and the impact of welfare reform.
The Central Question
For a city to have its start and its hey-day in the industrial revolution,
then to become a symbol of urban strife in the era of the technological
revolution, Camden's ability to succeed raises concern. As the central question
raised in this context, whether or not Camden can be "saved" became
the starting point for organizing the work of the research team. The team's
tasks were structured to formulate strategies for land use, human capital,
economic infrastructure and governmental policy that would allow this central
question to be addressed. The team operated in well-awareness of previous
press articles and studies undertaken that have so graphically presented
and alerted the world to the urban decay that has devastated Camden. Urban
uprising, massive dependency on welfare, high rates of crime and drug abuse,
increasing high school drop-out rates, white flight, housing abandonment,
corruption in public office are issues that were examined either directly
or indirectly. The numerous planning and development initiatives, in spite
of best of intent and effort, that have fallen short of their mark were
also investigated.
The city has been isolated from the social and economic networks of the
region; its people have been set apart by poverty and by the breakdown of
its civil society; governmental action has been overwhelmed by the immediacy
of crisis resolution; and its urban fabric has been torn asunder. In the
face of these realities, the research team put forth the following concepts
as a contribution to the discussion that many have already contributed to,
with the full realization that it is not this study alone nor those before
us, but it is the cumulative process that is decisive and will ultimately
save Camden.
As we attempt to demonstrate in this report, it is possible to accomplish
a healthy urban environment with social, economic, physical, and organizational
attributes that eventually would lead to a sustainable city. Camden has
the potential of being a city of choice for all the reasons it has failed
as a result of urban sprawl. It is also a city with numerous assets in terms
of physical scale, historical factors, natural attributes, and spatial and
human qualities that give it locational advantages and identity as a place.
To approach these issues, the study is organized into the following chapters:
Urban Design and Land Use, Labor Force and Welfare, Economic Development,
Governmental Impediments and Opportunities.
Organization
Ghislaine Hermanuz and Claire Weisz, in the Urban Design and Land Use
chapter, articulate an urbanism that considers the concept of "work"
and access to work as its thematic core and recognizes the village scale
as appropriate for the process of recreating neighborhoods.
Chelli Devadutt and Walter Stafford explain the nature of Camden's labor
force, and structural obstacles, and assess the impact of welfare reform.
Comparative analysis of the County and City provide a reasonable context
for understanding the static position that the structure of employment,
compounded by other social factors, offers Camden residents. It also speaks
to the need for an approach to welfare reform that organize the degrees
of intervention and the magnitude of impact that is realistic.
Elliott Sclar offers a discussion that explores Camden's role in the
region's economy, the importance of a targeted development plan, and an
alternative vision of economic development. He suggests where to start,
what is realistic at this time, and where the City could land on the playing
field of garnishing economic development within the region through comparative
advantage.
Jerome Harris assesses real time policy issues and governmental impediments
and opportunities, examining where the current discussion is and what policies'
initiatives are related to initiation of the economic development/land use
strategy. He suggest ideas of how to make efficient use of existing federal,
state, and local policies that can prove to be helpful in furthering the
central goal of economic development. |
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