Newark, NJ—November 17, 2022— Mayor Ras J. Baraka today announced that the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-NJ) has recognized the Newark360 Master Plan with a 2022 Planning Excellence Award.

Rooted in Mayor Baraka’s determination to make Newark a more equitable, healthy, and resilient city, Newark360 provides key recommendations to better connect Newarkers to their neighborhoods and job centers, create more affordable housing, strengthen Newark’s historical and cultural fabric, and address environmental injustices. These actions are complemented by recommendations for updating the underlying land use and zoning codes that will provide the legal framework for implementing the proposed actions.

“Newark360 expresses the ideas, vision, dreams, and aspirations of Newarkers. I am proud that that APA-NJ recognized the power of professional planners, collaborating with nearly two years of community engagement, in the most wide-ranging and inclusive outreach that Newark has ever undertaken. We are grateful to people from every neighborhood and walk of life who participated, because Newark360 could not exist without the voices and priorities of Newarkers,” Mayor Baraka said.

Community engagement included more than 10,000 touchpoints – from a highly interactive website where people could give their ideas and review documents, Facebook Live discussions, two in-person community workshops in every ward, focus groups, statistically valid surveys, and the Newark Story Bus that roamed the city recording the thinking of Newark’s youth.

About Newark 360:

Newark 360 is an imaginative re-thinking of many of Newark’s physical features. It includes:

• Sustainability and preparing for the inevitable impact of climate change.
• Better connecting neighborhoods to each other via public transit and pedestrian infrastructure.
• Support for neighborhood businesses with startup micro capital funds.
• Fostering more affordable housing through zoning changes, increased density on key corridors and allowing accessory dwelling units.
• Creating an “Airport City” at Newark International Airport.
• Implementing a city-wide tree canopy initiative.
• Supporting the vision of the Newark Arts and Education District.
• Rethinking zoning so that Newark can become a vibrant 24/7 city.
• Expanding Green Zones.

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The public is invited to view the full plan and executive summary on www.newark360.org.

Newark360 was a community-wide collaborative project. It involved:

• Numerous Newark residents who offered their concerns, views, and ideas throughout the planning process
• The Steering Committee
• The Technical Advisory Committee

The following Newark Community Development Corporations:

• Clinton Hill Community Action
• Ironbound Community Corporation
• La Casa Don Pedro
• Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District
• Newark Street Team/TRECenter
• United Community Corporation
• Unified Vailsburg Services Organization
• Urban League Of Essex County

• The Newark Public Library
• Talking Eyes Media for the Newest Americans Storybus

Outside consultant WRT and their subs:

• Arup
• Niniret Partners
• Zakalak Associatates
• One Architecture
• HGA

· Sponsors:

• Audible for the Story Bus
• Victoria Foundation for their $90,000 grant
• Bloomberg Associates for their technical assistance

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For more information on the City of Newark, please visit our website at www.newarknj.gov

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