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Newark³⁶⁰

shaping our city together

Newark Citywide Master Plan September 2022

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CITY OF NEWARK Mayor Ras J. Baraka

Newark³⁶⁰

shaping our city together

Prepared for City of Newark Office of Planning & Zoning | September 2022

What is Newark360?

Newark360 is a community-based citywide Master Plan, developed in 2021-2022. The Plan will guide the physical development of the city for the next decade and beyond.

newark360.org

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cover: GalleryRetail - Zay, Isaiah Little this page: Cesar Melgar

Contents:

Introduction 01 p. 1

Newark Today 02 p. 14 Newark Yesterday and Today p. 14 A Decade of Change and Growth p. 26 Health, Equity, and Resilience in Newark Today p. 40

Community Voices 03 p. 78 Engagement Overview p. 78 Virtual Engagement p. 84 Community Workshops p. 86 Citywide Survey p. 98 Youth Engagement p. 102

i. Executive Summary

Newark Tomorrow 04 p. 110 City of Prosperity p. 110 City of Culture p. 144 City of Neighborhoods p. 164 City of Families p. 208 City of Strength p. 238

Implementation 05 p. 272 Policy Recommendations p. 272 Implementation Matrix p. 278

I. Appendix: Land Use Element II. Appendix: Vulnerability Assessment III. Appendix: Neighborhood Profiles IV. Appendix: Engagement Feedback V. Appendix: Statistically-Valid Survey

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image: City of Newark

A Letter from Mayor Ras J. Baraka

To our Beloved Newark Community:

Newark360 is a Master Plan aimed at giving our people the power to plan and shape the future of our city as it continues to grow over the next 10 years. I want to extend special thanks to everyone who shared ideas and feedback with our Office of Planning and Zoning team throughout development of this document. This plan could not exist without you! Our goal is to make sure Newark360 is shaped by the community, for the community and reflects the priorities of ALL of our unique, dynamic and diverse Newark voices.

Everyone deserves to have a say in how the future of our city should grow, look, and feel. We Newarkers are the ultimate experts on what is best for us, and the city we call home must reflect that in every way. The process of developing Newark360 listened to that expertise and captured a vision for a city that is more connected, walkable, safe, and green. As much as we are proud to be Newarkers, Newark360 envisions a future that is even better, stronger, and healthier with recommendations to protect our cultural vitality, strengthen our neighborhoods, connect our people to jobs, and address historic environmental justice issues.

As mayor of this great city, I have made it my mission to move Newark Forward by building an empowered, safer, educated, equitable, and collaborative city for all. Fundamental to our shared vision of a city is that it must be planned and built, block by block, by our vibrant and thriving communities. From protecting our long-time residents to raising the next generation of Newarkers and welcoming new residents to plant their roots in Newark, Newark360 is intended to be a framework created by community input to make sure that our future is created for and inclusive of everyone.

You will see in the plan the goals and actions that reflect what we heard from you. Alongside the Office of Planning and Zoning’s robust and expansive community outreach, cross-collaboration across City departments will be critical to accomplishing the shared vision expressed by residents and bringing this plan to life. From improving our tree canopy, connecting our neighborhoods to each other and to careers, and safeguarding the culture and character of our history, Newark360 will ensure that the implementation of the master plan is transparent, accountable, and supported citywide.

Newark360 will be the City’s guide and blueprint toward achieving a healthy, equitable, and resilient Newark for All over the next 10 years and beyond.

I’m from Newark and proud of it. Thank you for making your voice heard to shape a city that makes us all proud to live, work, grow, play, and prosper together.

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Dear Newarker,

A Master Plan is defined as the broad policy statement that guides the future growth and development of a city or town. At its best, a Master Plan should be based upon the inputs and priorities of the people of a community. In truth, the process of developing a Master Plan demonstrates who is truly powerful and who is not. Those with power are those able to envision and plan the future.

In his eight plus years as Mayor, one of the most important and enduring principles of Ras J. Baraka has been to empower the people of Newark with the tools to shape our own destinies – in our families, our schools, our neighborhoods and our city itself. The message of his 2014 campaign for Mayor was When I Become Mayor, You Become Mayor. Since then, the most transformative policies and initiatives of Newark have been shaped by collaborations of residents, community leaders, educators, clergy, business, philanthropic and university leaders, developers, labor leaders, elected officials and students at every level.

In 2022, the City of Newark is mandated by New Jersey state law to perform the once in a decade updating of its citywide Master Plan. The 2012 Plan, Our City Our Future, expires in September of 2022, and the Newark 360 Master Plan must update and expand on that with new priorities for the next ten years. In 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Baraka directed the City’s Office of Planning and Zoning to devise a collaborative planning process that could be a model for other cities. He required a process that would be the essence of democracy, empowering every Newarker with the opportunity to participate in shaping Newark’s post-pandemic recovery, and determining the City’s vision for the next decade.

This Newark360 Master Plan is the result of the intense collaboration demanded by Mayor Baraka. It is the product of multi-lingual input by Newarkers through online community forums, an interactive website, in-person community workshops (two in every ward), questionnaires, stakeholder planning sessions and focus groups of populations often overlooked in urban planning. This plan does not represent just the personal vision of one elected leader, the Mayor, nor the collective opinions of powerful elites. It represents the empowered voice of all Newarkers, our hopes and dreams for ourselves, our families, our neighborhoods and our city.

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Allison Ladd

Deputy Mayor

Director, Newark Economic and Housing Development

Dear Newarkers,

Newark360 is not the end of the Master Plan process but the beginning of a new conversation for Newark and its physical growth. The Master Plan has been shaped by the talent of its residents, stakeholders, advocates, and friends. It is the culmination of a process that is celebrated with over ten thousand touchpoints and informed by the people who will be the builders of Newark’s future. Newark360 is pillared by the principles of Health, Equity, and Resilience. The support from the community for these principles is translated into every page of this document, and they should be proud of their stellar insights, ground truthing, and vision they have advocated for this great American City.

The vanguard recommendations articulated in this plan will transform Newark in the new decade, and build on the foundation of progress the city has established in the past decade. Newark360 lays outs goals for Newark and promotes the recommended land use changes that can get us there. With higher density recommendations, it will break down barriers for entry into the housing market which is the cradle of residential stability and wealth creation. It will increase the footprint for job opportunities through expanded residential, commercial and cottage industries, enabling Newarkers to be part of Newark’s economic success story. It mutes the conversation of the car and amplifies the advocacy for pedestrianized streets, increasing safety, economic activity, and environmental resiliency. This plan is from the people and for the people of Newark. Those who have stood the test of its storied history, and those it seeks to welcome to be part of its new chapter.

The Office of Planning and Zoning is proud to have shepherded this process with the monumental support of our colleagues in the administration and the steadfast advisement from our philanthropic advisors, Bloomberg Associates. We are grateful to our outside planning firm consultants, Wallace, Roberts, and Todd (WRT) and their phenomenal sub-consultants, Arup, ONE Architecture, Ninigret Partners, Zakalak Associates, and Heyer, Gruel & Associates. We are forever indebted to the support we received from the incredible brain trust of our Steering Committee, our Technical Advisory Committee, and our academic institutions: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, and our friends at the City Planning Institute.

This is your plan, Newarkers, and you should be most proud of the journey we have traveled to shape our city together. A future Newark that is stronger, as it moves forward.

Christopher A. Watson

City Planning Officer Office of Boards and Commission Office of Planning and Zoning

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Executive Summary

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image: City of Newark

Newark360

shaping our city together

Newark is....

Newark is growing.

Newark is the largest and fastest growing city in New Jersey. Newarkers are concerned, though, that this growth may not be equitable.

Newark is becoming more diverse.

Even in an already-diverse city, the past decade brought an increase in new residents, languages, and perspectives. Newarkers cite the diversity of cultures as the city's biggest strength.

Newark is defined by its people and their neighborhoods.

Newarkers are unafraid to voice their concerns and their hopes for their city. They are also deeply rooted in their local communities: a majority of Newarkers surveyed would prefer to stay in their neighborhood.

Newark360 is....

Newark360 is built on Newark Forward and grounded in Health, Equity, and Resilience.

The 2018 Newark Forward plan charted the path for an equitable future. These themes underpin every page of this plan. Additionally, the principles of Health, Equity, and Resilience guided our understanding of what the plan must achieve for all Newarkers.

Newark360 is voiced by our community.

We spent 12 months in 2021-22 talking to Newarkers from all neighborhoods and all walks of life, ensuring this plan meets our people where they are and is shaped by their voices throughout.

Newark360 is our shared blueprint for equitable growth in our city across the next decade and beyond.

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image: Newark Happening

Framework:

The time is now to shape our city together.

We have the opportunity to take stock of our city at a crucial juncture. Across the past decade, Newark has faced growth and inmigration, flooding and climate change, increasing housing costs, a national reckoning around racial injustice, and a global pandemic.

Within all of these changes, the Newarkers who shaped this plan see much potential in their city and its people: they love their parks, their diversity, their arts and cultures, and their deep and proud history. They have strong and powerful visions for a brighter future. Newark360 is that shared vision that will guide development for the next decade of growth.

Newark360 is the community-driven update to the City of Newark's Master Plan.

As a Master Plan, Newark360 is primarily concerned with actions that have implications for our city's physical form. The plan compiles actions around transportation, housing, utilities, our historic structures, and the underlying land use and zoning codes that underpin the legal framework for development.

The City of Newark will lead the way in implementing the actions described in the plan, but will rely on numerous community, civic, and business partnerships to do so. Above all, Newark360 relies on the voices of our people to shape our city together.

I love the diversity of this city and its spirit. It's hard to name the sense of grit, determination, and pride that Brick City's people have in one word. I'm so excited to be a part of its present and future.

-Newark360 Website feedback

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A blueprint for the physical development of Newark for the next decade

Community Voices

The heart of Newark is its people and their diverse voices.

To truly understand what Newarkers needed from their Master Plan, we deployed a wide range of tools to reach voices in every neighborhood:

Virtual Outreach:

We used the Newark360.org website to announce upcoming events, launch surveys and community mapping, and host draft documents for review. We also held 12 virtual citywide meetings via Facebook Live, reaching hundreds of Newarkers for each session.

In-person Workshops:

The heart of our engagement was our 10-workshop series held in partnership with community development corporations, where we collaboratively envisioned a brighter future with hundreds of Newarkers in all 5 Wards.

You need to make spaces beautiful for people who already live here. And for people who have been here for generations and who deserve the space to look nice and clean. (Ana Monteiro, 21 years old) Newark Story Bus event

Citywide Survey:

We mailed residents across the city a survey and were able to verify a statistically-valid cross-section of responses, ensuring true representation from Newarkers who otherwise might not be involved in the planning process.

Youth Engagement:

We were fortunate to partner with the City Planning Institute and the Newark Story Bus to engage our city's youth, too often left out of planning their city.

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7,000+ Website Visits 10 In-person Workshops 12 Citywide Virtual Meetings 3 Story Bus Appearances 38 Thought Leader Interviews 510 Citywide Survey Responses

Newark is a city of Prosperity:

Connect Newark’s neighborhoods:

Most of the city's mobility options bring Newarkers into downtown instead of directly connecting neighborhoods to each other.

• Key actions:

1.1.3 Add bus routes and other bus treatments to improve how Newarkers move around the city outside the downtown core.

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image: Bloomberg Associates

Build community wealth for all Newarkers:

Newarkers want more economic opportunities within their own neighborhoods and support for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

• Key actions:

1.6.1 Implement a startup micro capital fund aimed at neighborhood businesses.

1.7.1 Utilize the Land Bank to promote local non-institutional ownership of commercial property and increase homeownership.

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image: City of Newark

Leverage Newark’s role as an Airport City:

The Newark Liberty International Airport is one of the most heavily trafficked airports in the nation, and is a major economic engine for the region. The extension of the Light Rail system to the Dayton neighborhood could bring economic opportunities for residents.

• Key actions:

1.4.1 Enhance Newark’s position as an Airport City with needed redevelopment and study.

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image: 7521 Photography

Master Plan Highlights

Newark is a city of Culture:

Celebrate our Arts & Education Districts:

The 2022-designated Arts & Education District encompassing much of Downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods will bring together and support the many downtown arts and educational institutions, galleries, parks, public art, and restaurants that contribute to the city’s cultural legacy and support for inclusive economic development.

• Key actions:

2.1.2 Support the vision of the Newark Arts and Education District.

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Encourage Newark to become a 24/7 City:

Historically, nightlife was essential to Newark’s cultural identity and economic growth, but zoning currently restricts after-hours uses in many parts of the city. Establishing an Office of Nightlife to help shepherd zoning reforms can sensitively allow entertainment uses to be recentered in Newark again.

• Key actions:

2.1.5 Update the zoning code to allow and encourage Newark to be a 24/7 city for arts and entertainment.

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Newark is a city of

Neighborhoods:

"Upzone" along Newark's main commercial corridors:

Newark's commercial corridors are the backbone of our neighborhoods. Revisions to the zoning code should include broadening the city's Community Commercial zoning along key corridors, and other areas where increased density will not change the neighborhood's character.

• Key actions:

3.4.3 Upzone along key corridors and around transit hubs.

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Facilitate home-based businesses and microcommerce:

Given real estate costs and the shift toward hybrid work environments, the demand for greater mixed-use flexibility is expected to grow.

• Key actions:

3.4.2 Examine opportunities for mixed-use zoning approaches that can accommodate hybrid business models.

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Ensure affordable housing for all income levels & increase supply:

Affordable housing is the most pressing need identified by Newarkers, and solutions should be tailored to each neighborhood.

• Key actions:

3.5.1 Allow and promote accessory dwelling units for single-family households to add density without full redevelopment.

3.5.2 Support Land Bank efforts to preserve affordable housing.

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Master Plan Highlights

Newark is a city of Families:

Deploy Vision Zero and Complete Streets to keep Newarkers safe:

Many Newarkers rely on bus, bike, and walking connections to get around the city, but our primary corridors are car-oriented and can feel dangerous.

• Key actions:

4.3.1 Create, adopt, implement, and enforce a Vision Zero policy and plan.

4.3.3 Implement and enforce Complete Streets projects on major corridors.

4.3.4 Support the expansion of NewarkGo - the bike and scooter micromobility program.

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Significantly expand Newark’s tree canopy:

The city's low tree canopy and high impervious surface coverage makes it one of the hottest in the nation. A citywide tree planting campaign will help mitigate heat and stormwater issues by planting trees in areas with low canopy coverage.

• Key actions:

4.4.1 Develop and support a citywide tree canopy initiative.

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Implement the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Goals:

The city must strengthen the enforcement of its development agreements and Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, as well as implement and track Mayor Baraka's Housing Goals.

• Key actions:

4.1.1 Operationalize Mayor Baraka's Housing Goals.

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Newark is a city of Strength:

Manage stormwater equitably with a stormwater fee:

Flooding from intense storm events has impacted Newarkers all over the city, but primarily in the East Ward, downhill from the rest of Newark. Instituting a citywide stormwater fee will help more equitably distribute the burden of flood risk to protect our most vulnerable.

• Key actions:

5.2.1 Create a phased stormwater fee and utility to fund stormwater infrastructure upgrades.

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Establish "Green Zones" to address environmental injustice:

Newark has a long and proud history of fighting for environmental justice. Establishing "Green Zones" in environmentally affected legacy communities can create a way to provide resources for those Newarkers who have been most impacted by environmental harm.

• Key actions:

5.1.1 Initiate a Green Zone designation process for communities.

5.1.2 Expand city programs and resources to support Green Zone communities.

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Master Plan Highlights

Call to Action:

Implementing the Vision:

This plan is culminating at a time when federal and state governments are eager to invest in Newark. These investment build equity platforms into much needed social, physical and civic infrastructure. It supports broadly the larger Newark community who have experienced both a pandemic and a racial reckoning during the formation of this renewed vision. Strong and effective governance systems are needed to shepherd the Newark360 Master Plan through implementation.

• The city should invest in technological and data management systems across government agencies that allow for consistent and rapid sharing of information between departments.
• The city should update procurement rules and streamline contracting to take full advantage of private sector expertise to serve the city and its citizens.
• Newark’s government should be expanded so as to align with the city’s unique strengths and challenges – housing, mobility, infrastructure, parks, public works, economic/workforce development, and arts & culture.

This is a call to action for city government to capitalize on insights gained from the pandemic and apply them to serving Newarkers today.

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01

Introduction

Newark360 is built on a strong and deep foundation of work from City departments, community organizations, stakeholders, agencies, and consultants. Much of this groundwork was conducted before the official Plan Launch in fall of 2021, and the partnerships and collaborations cemented with this plan will likewise continue throughout the next decade and beyond. Most of all, the plan is rooted in core principles of Health, Equity, and Resilience, and in the strong voices of Newark's people.

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Newark360 shaping our city together

Introduction

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image: Cesar Melgar

Guiding Principles

Newark is the largest and fastest growing city in New Jersey. Newarkers are concerned, though, that this growth may not be equitable.

This Plan is rooted in the 5 themes of 2018's Newark Forward, created to chart the path towards a more equitable future. As Newark grows, we must ensure all Newarkers share in the prosperity to come. These themes informed the entire Master Plan process and are threaded through every page in this plan.

Health, Equity, and Resilience:

In addition, Newark360 is also built on the foundational principles of Health, Equity, and Resilience. Only with all three of these can Newarkers truly prosper.

Newark Forward:

Before Newark360 even launched, the city was already working collaboratively to define a vision for a more equitable future: in 2018 Mayor Baraka created Newark Forward, the community-based framework for equitable growth and opportunity. Newark Forward built on five enduring progressive themes:

• An Empowered City
• A Safer City
• An Educated City
• An Equitable City
• A Collaborative City

Newark360 is fundamentally rooted in these framing principles for a brighter Newark.

Newark Forward

The Blueprint for Equitable Growth and Opportunity in Newark

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Mayor Baraka's Citywide Vision Themes

• A Safe City based upon trauma-informed care
• An Empowered City All residents have power in their decisions
• An Equitable City guided by racial, social and environmental and economic justice
• An Educated City in which residents of all ages lead healthy and successful lives
• A Collaborative City where every member of the community work together

Newark360 is...

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A community-driven, citywide actionable Master Plan

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Collective Vision, Goals and Strategies along Eight (8) Plan Elements and Land Use Recommendations

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A blueprint for the physical development and regulations of Newark for the next decade

A Master Plan for the city

A Master Plan is a whole city plan based on community inputs and priorities. It can create a blueprint for the physical development of the city through specific actions, prioritized in partnership with the Newark community.

Guided by Health, Equity, and Resilience

Newark360 is strongly rooted in the guiding principles of Health, Equity, and Resilience.

An opportunity to guide the physical development of the city

The document will guide how we use our land for the next 10 years and inform adjustments to the zoning for future growth.

Comprehensive and expansive

"Newark360" was coined by the project team at the beginning of the Master Plan process to describe the way the Plan will encompass a 360-degree view of Newark and its future.

A foundation for zoning changes and further planning work

The Master Plan defines how we use our land, support changes to circulation, and guide the size, shape and location of new development in our neighborhoods. The Master Plan and its Land Use recommendations will be used to determine the zoning law for the next decade of Newark's growth, as well as laying groundwork for further planning.

A statutory requirement for New Jersey

The State of New Jersey has a statutory requirement for all municipalities to update their citywide Master Plans every decade. The 2012 Plan, Our City Our Future, will expire in September of 2022. Newark360 is the process to update and expand on that work, including new priorities for the next decade.

What elements will be addressed by the Plan?

The Master Plan Elements:

Newark360 is primarily concerned with the physical development of the city. As such, the following 8 Elements are the building blocks of the Plan:

• Parks & Open Space
• Sustainability & the Environment
• Utilities & Critical Infrastructure
• Transportation & Circulation
• Historic Preservation & Cultural Assets
• Urban Design Standards
• Housing
• Economic Development

Land Use Element:

Ultimately, these Plan Elements and the community based vision for Newark’s development lead to Land Use recommendations that amend the Newark Zoning and Land Use Regulations, adopted by City Council. These Land Use recommendations are referenced throughout this document and are summarized in Appendix I.

⬚ figure Parks & Open Space

⬚ figure Sustainability & the Environment

⬚ figure Utilities & Infrastructure

⬚ figure Transportation & Circulation

⬚ figure Historic Preservation & Cultural Assets

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Accomplishments since 2012

Since the previous Master Plan, “Our City Our Future” (2012), the City of Newark has made progress on all 8 Plan Elements. Major accomplishments are summarized below.

Parks & Open Space

Open Space Trust Board: established in 2016.

Boylan Recreation Center (2015): Boxing Complex.

N 13th St. Basketball Court (2018): new basketball court on empty lot.

Ironbound Stadium & Ice Rink (2019): environmental remediation, new artificial turf, rehabilitation of the bleachers/press booth, all new ice rink to NHL standards.

JFK Recreation Center (2021): gymnasium renovations.

Utilities & Critical Infrastructure

Utilities: On track to fully replace lead service lines throughout the entire city.

Stormwater: Project started in 2017, Small sewer rehabilitation structural cleaning 310 miles of sewer. Completed about 150 miles. Heavy cleaning of swearers, site repairs, CSO, separate sewers as well. Clean and fix. Adopt a Catch Basin Program.

Sustainability & the Environment

Renewable energy: The city is enabling solar and other local more substantiable energy generation in commercial and industrial properties. Anheuser Busch Plant will be 100% clean energy by 2025.

CO2 restrictions: City pursuing Transit Village dedication, micro-mobility program; Working closely with Port Authority and local utilities to improve practices.

Trees: Support for new tree planting or the contribution of funds in exchange.

Transportation & Circulation

On-street parking study done in 2019, Circulation Improvement Study.

Bike infrastructure expanded: Projects completed include Newark Waterfront Park – Segment 2, McWhorter Street, and East Ferry Street.

Piloted bike and scooter share program Newark GO.

Historic Preservation & Cultural Assets

Social Justice Public Art Initiative: In June 2020, the City of Newark launched the Social Justice Public Art Initiative, starting with two ground murals in response to calls for racial justice. Seven murals were completed in 2020, and additional murals will be commissioned throughout 2021.

Adaptive reuse: Successful adaptive reuse of vacant and underutilized landmark buildings such as the NJ Bell Telephone Headquarters, the TRYP Hotel, and the Hahne and Co. Department Store.

The Newark Community Museum will replace the police division's 1st Precinct on 17th Ave and house the City's Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery.

Housing

Inclusionary zoning: In 2017, Newark passed an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO), which requires any building over 30 units to make at least 20% of them affordable.

Rent control: Requires an apartment to pass a Code Compliance inspection and be registered in the Rent Control Program before any change in tenancy (including evictions).

Affordable Housing Trust Fund: The Newark Affordable Housing Trust Fund award loans to support the rehabilitation, preservation, or new construction of housing targeting low to moderate income households.

Urban Design

Planning: Completed 4 Neighborhood Redevelopment Plans.

• Lincoln Park South Gateway Redevelopment Plan (2019).
• South Bergen Redevelopment Plan (2017)
• Newark’s River Public Access & Redevelopment Plan (2013).
• West Ward Model Neighborhood Initiative Redevelopment Plan (2013).
• Fairmount Commons Redevelopment Plan (2019).

Economic Development

Job growth: Newark retains its position as the state’s largest employment center by creating at least 25,000 new jobs.

Port/Airport: The Port and Airport have become even more critical to the City’s economy. In 2018, Newark Liberty International Airport was ranked the 12th busiest in the country based on total passenger traffic. Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is the primary shipping facility for goods leaving the New York metropolitan area and is the third largest port in the nation. Newark residents hold 33% of all port and port-related jobs.

Recent Plans & Policies

The 2022 Master Plan update will tie into many relevant plans and policies recently conducted by the City of Newark and other affiliated groups. Some of the plans incorporated are summarized below.

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Newark Forward

- City of Newark

Newark Forward (2018) was Mayor Baraka’s platform to listen to Newarkers on their vision for the city’s next stage of progress. The focus of the Newark Forward is equitable opportunity and growth so that all residents in all of Newark’s neighborhoods will benefit from development and investment taking place in the city and be able to live better, more productive lives, with special attention to young people receiving the preparation they need to lead Newark to a prosperous future marked by social, economic and racial justice.

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Equitable Growth

Commission

- City of Newark

The 15-member commission (formed Dec 2018) consists of experts drawn from the city’s community, academic, business, and non-profit sectors to ensure that development policies and projects in Newark incorporate the principle of equitable growth (investment without displacement). The commission makes recommendations and provides advice on planning and land use laws and policies; housing law and policy; public financing for housing, real estate and infrastructure development; related public health matters, business development and procurement.

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Newark Housing Goals

- City of Newark

In December of 2020 Mayor Baraka convened a group of over 30 individuals representing City agencies, local housing experts, advocates, community organizations, residents, developers and funders to develop a housing vision and quantitative goals for Newark, with a focus on affordability and equity. 5 goals to be implemented over the next 5 years aim to achieve vision - Ensure all Newarkers have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, to ensure that our city continues to be a vibrant gateway to the opportunities of the region for all, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, or immigration status.

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Racial Wealth Divide in

Newark - Prosperity Now

Wealth inequality in Newark remains increasingly relevant as both the population and the median household income are growing. Black and Latino renters are more cost-burdened than their White counterparts. Black and Latino communities are doing worse in nearly every other key economic indicator area compared to Whites. High income and asset poverty rates leave many families without the means to save or build a basic safety net for financial emergencies, let alone build the wealth needed to lay the foundation for upward mobility.

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NewBus Newark - NJ Transit

NJ TRANSIT is undertaking an initiative to reimagine local bus service in the Newark region. The 2021 study was initiated due to low ridership indicating that the system does not effectively serve the needs of Newarkers. Through a community outreach process, NJ TRANSIT found that “current and former bus riders overwhelmingly stated that their most desired service improvement was to have buses run more often”. For non-riders, approximately 30 % would like to see shorter overall transit times and approximately 20% would like to see fewer transit connections. The NewBus Newark Plan leverages NJ TRANSIT’s existing resources to propose a plan that is simplified, customer-focused, extends bus service to new destinations and gives more Newarkers access at more times of the day.

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Sustainability Action Plan - City of Newark

Since 2012, the City of Newark has been convening community partners, business leaders, and Newark stakeholders to pursue the vision of a healthy, green, and vibrant city. From 2017-2018, the City led a public engagement process that articulated a set of goals and action items for a clean, green, healthy, prepared, and engaged Newark. The 2020 Sustainability Action Plan update is in progress.

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Riverfront Redevelopment Plan - City of Newark

Updated land uses: New residential, mixed use (including commercial, retail), and open space uses along the riverfront in Lower Broadway, Downtown, and Ironbound neighborhoods.

Reinforced the North Ward as an industrial waterfront.

Open space overlay: Bulk bonuses provided for development with open space contribution in Lower Broadway and Downtown neighborhoods.

Public right of way: 20- to 40-foot width public right of way required along the waterfront in Lower Broadway, Downtown and Ironbound.

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Neighborhood Plans Various

In addition to city and region-wide efforts, Newark360 will incorporate important neighborhood-scale plans conducted in the past decade. Some of the examples include:

• Lincoln Park Action Plan (2019).
• Forward Bound Doremus Port-Industrial Redevelopment Plan (2021).
• Bike Ironbound Bicycle Plan (2016).
• Upper Clinton Hill Neighborhood Plan (2021).

Newark360 Team

The Newark360 Master Plan was led by the City of Newark's Department of Housing and Economic Development, Office of Planning and Zoning, in partnership with a team of consultants, advisors, and community partners:

Consultant Team

The consultant team was led by WRT, a planning a design firm headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. WRT was supported by the following consultant team members:

• Arup: a renowned international engineering and design firm. Engineers and transportation planners from their NYC office focused on the transportation and critical infrastructure elements of the master plan.
• ONE Architecture & Urbanism: ONE focused on the environment and sustainability element of the master plan. ONE is a global leader in large-scale climate adaptation and waterfront infrastructure planning and also worked on Resilient Northeast NJ funded by NJ DEP.
• Ninigret Partners: Ninigret, an economic consulting firm, focused on the community and economic development and housing elements of the master plan.
• Zakalak Associates: an award-winning historic preservation firm with an office in Newark. Founder Ulana Zakalak led the historic preservation component of the previous 2012 Master Plan. Zakalak focused on the historic preservation and cultural assets element of Newark360.
• Heyer, Gruel & Associates: HGA led the Land Use portion of Newark360, assessing the past 10 years of development and working closely with the team to create comprehensive Future Land Use recommendations that will lead to zoning changes.

Additional Partners:

• Bloomberg Associates
• New York University's Marron Institute
• City Planning Institute
• NJIT Fall 2021 Architecture Studio

Advisors:

• Newark People's Assembly
• Equitable Growth Advisory Commission
• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

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image: Cesar Melgar

Newark’s greatest strengths are its neighborhoods and residents: a sense of community and character that connects the city at a human scale and can form the basis of transformative action.

-Citywide tour takeaway, Newark360 team

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image: Cesar Melgar

The Newark360 team launched the planning process with an extensive tour

Steering Committee:

Invaluable guidance came from the Mayor-Appointed Steering Committee, a group of stakeholders, citizens, and subject-matter experts. We convened the Steering Committee three times throughout the Newark360 process.

• Israel Alford, Student, Rutgers University

• Tom Angotti, Professor Emeritus, Hunter College

• Dr. Ana Baptista, Assistant Professor, The New School/ICC

• Adenah Bayoh, Founder, Adenah Bayoh and Co.

• Nancy Cantor, Chancellor, Rutgers University

• Kai Campbell, Founder, The Yard, The Walla, Bragman's

• Richard Cammareri, Director of Community Engagement, New Community Corporation

• Janna Chernetz, Deputy Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign

• Victor Cirilo, Executive Director, Newark Housing Authority

• Jonathan Cortell, Managing Director, L & M

• Victor Davson, Artist

• Susan K. Dunn, Trustee, The Nature Conservancy

• Scott Dvorak, NJ Program Director, Trust for Public Land

• Linda C. Harrison, Director, The Newark Museum of Art

• Michael James, Chairman, Newark Downtown District

• Dr. Branko Kolarevic, College of Architecture Dean, NJIT

• Calvin Ledford, President, PSEG Foundation

• Shoshanna Page, Senior Policy Advisor, City of Newark

• Dr. Lois Rockson, Assistant Professor, Rutgers University

• Dr. Colette Santasieri, Director, Center for Community Systems NJIT

• Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President, RPA

• Darius Sollohub, Associate Professor, NJIT

• Roy Southerland, President and CEO, Invest Newark

• Marilyn Taylor, Consulting Partner, SOM Architecture

• Reuben Teague, Executive Director, Impact Investments, Prudential Financial

• Dr. Mark Wade, Former Director, Newark Department of Health

• Derek Ware, Professor, Essex County College

• Evan Weiss, Interim President and CEO, Newark Alliance

• Junius Williams, City Historian, Rutgers

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image: Bloomberg Associates ^ The Steering Committee kickoff in Fall 2021 at the Newark Art Museum

Technical Advisory Committee:

We convened subject-matter experts who formed the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), organized around the Plan Elements. The breakout conversations we had in Spring 2022 with the TAC attendees synthesized emerging threads into actionable next steps for the Master Plan.

TAC Format:

In March 2022 we scheduled three separate Technical Advisory Committee meetings, with two Plan Elements as the subject of each meeting. Stakeholders, city officials, and representatives from partner agencies and community groups participated in breakout sessions around each Plan Element. They responded to questions like the one shown below and collaboratively built consensus for emerging plan actions.

The TAC sessions were an important bridge between understanding the existing conditions in the city, balancing community voices and priorities, and brainstorming what Newark360 could achieve. The work was then synthesized and used as a foundation for drafting the Plan pillars, goals, and actions.

TAC Takeaways:

We were energized by the outspoken and positive outlook of the Technical Advisory Committee members of Newark360. Upon touching base collectively, we agreed on the following common threads in all 6 breakout groups:

• Balance actionable with aspirational.
• Manage expectations on what the Master Plan can address and what it cannot in context of the Land Use Element.
• Build capacity in city governance to enforce policies and promote greater coordination between city agencies, across public, private and non-profit sectors, and between city, county and state.

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Question 1:

What are the top priorities for Newark parks?

^ The Technical Advisory Committees had virtual breakout rooms with discussion questions around the Plan Elements and priorities for the Master Plan. An example of the collaborative whiteboard we used is shown above

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image: GalleryRetail: Zay, Isaiah Little

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02

Newark Today

In the decade since the previous Master Plan, Newark has experienced inmigration and population growth; repeated flooding and storm events; increased housing costs; and a pandemic which devastated many Newarkers' health and economic prospects.

Using the lenses of Health, Equity, and Resilience, this chapter is a snapshot of Newark in 2022, in order to build Newark360's foundation for action.

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Newark360 shaping our city together

Newark Yesterday and Today

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image: City of Newark

In order to fully understand Newark Today, a reexamination of our shared past is essential.

Understanding Newark's past can bring light to much of the city's current development: we can understand that present-day Washington Street follows a traditional Munsee path, and how the neighborhoods that were denied federal investment in the 1930s still suffer today from that lack of funding. We can see that some of our zones of persistent flooding were backfilled to create land where there had previously been only water.

Beyond the physical, though, our social and cultural histories are crucial foundations for tomorrow. Newark, much like many cities in the US, is grappling with a period of reckoning around historic omissions and racial injustice. Newark360 intends to incorporate this historic framework into our planning for a shared and brighter future.

⬚ figure image: Newark Public Library

⬚ figure image: Library of Congress

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A Timeline of Newark

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NEWARK AS AN INDUSTRIALIZING CITY The population expands rapidly in this period as Newark emerges as a regional economic and manufacturing hub, processing raw goods from the US South and the larger region

NEWARK BEGINS As colonization spread, Newark is founded with agriculture and crafts at the center of its economy

INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY Bands of the Lenni-Lenape occupy the Newark region, with a network of trails and settlements along the Passaic River

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NEWARK AS A RESURGENT CITY

Major cities across the US lose government & private investments, jobs, and population growth to the suburbs. Long-time Newarkers take to activism and the arts in response to major economic and cultural shifts.

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NEWARK AS A CITY OF COMMUNITIES

After decades of tremendous growth, Newark's network of interdependent neighborhoods take shape

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Our Historic Origins

Indigenous Sovereignty

Source. oldnewark.org

The area that is now Newark was part of the domain of the Munsee, a subtribe of the Lenni Lenape. The Lenape were Algonquin speakers who settled large areas of present-day New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York.¹ The tribal center for the Munsee was near the present site of the city of Hackensack, New Jersey, and the surrounding regions were dotted with indigenous settlements.²

The Lenape were known skilled farmers, their agricultural techniques and crops (corn, pumpkins, squash, etc.)were adopted by later white settlers.³ In addition to farming, the Munsee fished the Passaic River and the waters of Newark Bay, and hunted the forest and the marshlands of the surrounding area.⁴ The Lenape left a lasting impact on the cultural geography of New Jersey.

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EXISTING SETTLEMENTS influenced the region’s patterns of colonial settlement

For example, they burned widely in forested areas to drive game into the open, ease travel, and increase visibility. This burning, continued by white settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries, greatly altered the plants and animal life of the region. Indigenous trails also provided foundational paths for later roads and highways, and often determined the location of early New Jersey towns.⁵ A network of trails facilitated access between the highlands, the Hudson River and New Jersey shores, and there are likely to have been several crossing places on the Passaic River in the Newark vicinity.

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LENAPE ‘The Real People’ ...influenced Newark’s layout. Present day Washington Street follows the line of the Minisink Path.

^ Susie Elkhair wears traditional clothing Source. delawaretribe.org

Lenape tools for woodworking, canoe making, and more Source. njskylands.com

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Newark Begins 'a Village of Makers'

1600 - 1800

1,000 Newarkers

In 1666, the founders of Newark relied on New England town planning principles by creating an organized street system and public spaces throughout.¹ Today these areas are Washington Park and Military Park, respectively. Surveyors set out “Highways in the most convenient places,” including a “Center...street of the town”.² This street, known since the 18th century as Broad Street, became Newark’s most important thoroughfare, running north-south through the town.

Newark’s town planners did not impose a rigid grid-like design on the wilderness, instead their plan followed the topography of the area, using Lenape trails which ran between the river and the mountains. The most obvious instance of this modification can be seen in Broad Street, which angles off sharply to the west at both ends. Likewise, the irregularities in Washington Street, which follows the Lenape’s Minisink Path, can be attributed to the contours of the hill area directly west.³ The founders most adhered to the features of the New England town plan in their attitude toward the town’s land. For example property owners were required to live on their land for two years before selling it. Owners had to first offer the land to the town and if refused, owners could sell to “any whom the town shall approve of”.⁴

Throughout this the 18th and 19th century, Newark remained essentially a homogenous, pre-industrial and self-sufficient community.⁵ Although its economy was agricultural, Newark was home to a thriving community of artisans, who worked in small shops next to their homes. By 1800, Newark could boast thirty plus distinct crafts as artisans produced hats, lace, jewelry, carriages, and shoes, generally for local consumption.⁶

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image: Urban Habitats

^ Filling the New Jersey meadowlands

Newark as an Industrial City

1800-1900

246,070 Newarkers

Source: oldnewark.org

The industrial revolution changed Newark’s landscape as the canal, railroads, homes, factories, and miles of new streets were constructed. The city’s rapid development in these years progressed in a generally haphazard fashion. Until the city planning movement of the early 20th century, there was no zoning system in Newark.¹ Rather, developers relied on the “grid plan,” laying out streets in a rectilinear fashion and subdividing blocks into narrow 25’ x 100’ lots. The grid was ideal for rapidly subdividing land in a booming real estate market.²

Newark’s 19th century network of radiating transportation arteries was the cause for industrial dispersion. A 1913 city planning report pointed to the “discordant mingling” of factories, homes, and shops in the city.³ Manufacturers located close to the canal and the railroads, creating a belt of heavy industry throughout the Newark region.⁴ The early 20th century witnessed the beginnings of the modern city planning movement in the United States. These interests together saw the creation of Newark’s City Planning Commission in 1911, which established an overall design for future growth.⁵

By the early 20th century, the city’s industrial dispersion led to the environmental deterioration of many neighborhoods.

A 1920 zoning law required that new industrial development be restricted to areas along railroads and the Passaic River near Newark Bay. However, since most of Newark’s industrial development took place before this law took effect, the city still endured the scattering of factories.⁶

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River Street Factories

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^ Woman doing ‘Piece Work’

With immigrants from Europe occupying the best factory jobs, Black women took ‘piece work’ to their homes, and were paid per garment.

Newark as a City of Communities

1900-WWII

The stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression had a severe impact on Newark. Following World War II, many manufacturers left Newark for the south and west.¹ Fortunately for Newark, its economy had diversified by the mid-20th century, with its growing financial institutions and its insurance industry providing it with economic vitality.

The most striking feature of Newark’s social history since World War I has been the migration of African Americans from the rural south, often called the Great Migration. During World War I, Newark’s industries hired African Americans for factory work. As word spread that jobs were plentiful in Newark, the city’s African American population shot up from around 9,400 in 1915 to nearly 17,000 in 1920. In 1925, the population increased to 38,800. Unlike European immigrants before them, African Americans found it impossible to gain stability in their newly gained employment. Unions shut them out of skilled jobs, and if they did get a skilled labor job, they were paid as unskilled laborers. In 1930, African Americans accounted for 16.9% of Newark’s unemployed.² Additionally, strict racial segregation and Jim Crow ruled the day in Newark. African Americans were forced into the rapidly deteriorating sections of the inner city, with a high concentration in the Third Ward.³

The Newark Central Planning Board estimated that in 1945, more than half of the city’s Black residents lived in “unhealthful and unwholesome quarters” which needed repairs or lacked private baths, or water supply.⁴ Life was not all bleak however, as the “Roaring Third,” developed into the center of Newark’s African American life with theaters, nightclubs and other venues where Ragtime and eventually Jazz music poured out. From 1925 to 1950, the Third Ward became the heart of jazz and swing in Newark, featuring a vibrant nightlife with African American performers such as Miss Rhapsody, Ike Quebec, and Sarah Vaughn, as well as countless revues, bands, and dance acts.

WEEQUAHIC ‘CREEK HEAD’ names the neighborhood after the headwaters of a stream or cove

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Students pose with an alumni gift

Newark as a Resurgent City

WWII-1960s

WWII - PRESENT

In 1947, Louis Danzig was named the director of the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) and given a blank check to run it. With deteriorating housing, and veterans returning home, a housing shortage emerged. According to Danzig, vast areas in the East, North and Central Wards needed to be completely razed, and he used the Federal Housing Act of 1949 to achieve this. By 1956, Newark had built more public housing units per capita than any other US city.¹

The Federal Housing Administration also "redlined" most of Newark, preferring to back mortgages in the surrounding white suburbs, while manufacturers set up factories in surrounding towns, leaving deteriorated industrial buildings. Highways further tore Newark apart while allowing middle-class workers living in the suburbs to easily commute to Newark for jobs. In addition, the political and economic power in the city remained based in the white population.

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Playground at Prudential Apartments

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^ "Redlined" Neighborhoods of Newark

The Federal Housing Administration commissioned maps in the late 1930s to designate urban zones deemed "hazardous" to lend mortgages. These redlined zones corresponded with communities of color.

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Newark Today

1960s-Present

On July 12, 1967 Newark was the focus of television news broadcasts after taxi driver John Smith was violently beaten by two white Newark policemen during a traffic stop. The following day, a rally outside of the fourth precinct turned chaotic as residents took to the streets. None of the first responders had proper training or were able to communicate amongst themselves, and gunfire was exchanged between the various agencies. In the end, 26 people were killed, 1,500 wounded, 1,600 arrested and $10 million dollars in property was destroyed.¹ After the unrest of summer 1967, the mainstream media called Newark the worst city in the United States and the city became a symbol of urban decay and racial antagonism. The 1967 Rebellion's impact can still be felt in Newark today, both socially and physically.

Between 1970 and 1980, Newark’s population declined by 50,000. African American unemployment rose, one-third of African Americans lived in poverty and two-thirds of the jobs in Newark were held by people living outside the city. Newark suffered a 12 percent drop in assessed property value while real estate prices skyrocketed in surrounding suburbs.²

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< Richard Rothstein's 2017 book The Color of Law outlines the way federal policies like redlining divided cities along racial lines

In the ensuing decades, however, the population of the city has increased again. In 2014, Ras Baraka became the 40th mayor of Newark, and was reelected in 2018. He has worked to attract new development to the city including Audible’s Innovation Cathedral, and Walker House. Mayor Baraka launched Newark’s first police Civilian Complaint Review board and unified the City’s police and fire departments into a single public safety department. The national 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations brought Newarkers from all backgrounds to the streets to continue engaging in difficult conversations about race and the city.

⬚ figure image: nj.com

^ 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests Artists paint a Black Lives Matter street mural along Halsey Street, joining dozens of cities across the country.

Preserving our cultures

Newark is and always has been the cultural heart of New Jersey. Culture is the flavor that makes Newark, Newark. Culture is intrinsic in Newark’s artistic community, ethnic enclaves, music scene, festivals, historic districts, and lore. Arts, culture and creativity are components of Newark’s new economy, and continue to make Newark attractive to new residents and visitors. This culture must be protected as Newark grows in the next decade.

This is home. Home with its grit and graffiti and greatness. The streets and steel and strength. These boulevards, these bricks and this brilliance. Home is the fire that fuels our creative collective spirit.

-Queen Latifah, Newark native

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FIGURE 1 Cultural assets in the City of Newark
Source. (a) Newark Creates; (b) Newark Arts; (c) Newark Happening

Legend

• ❌ Cultural Hubs
• 🟡 Murals
• 🔵 Museums & Art Galleries
• 🟣 Historic Districts
• 🟡 Public Art
• ▲ Historic Landmarks

Shaping Our City Together | 25

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A Decade of Change & Growth

image: Dolo Foto for Newark Happening

Demographic Shifts

Growth

Newark saw remarkable growth over the past decade – doubling the state's growth rate at 13%. Newark remains New Jersey's most populous municipality, pushing above the 300,000 barrier for the first time since the 1980s (given Newark's large foreign-born and student populations, it is safe to assume that the city is home to more residents than recorded by the census).

Aligned with other urban centers in New Jersey, a majority of Newark's growth was fueled by sharp increases in the Hispanic and foreign-born populations.

Newark is also aging - in line with national trend of increasing Baby Boomer cohorts populating urban centers. A closer look at Newark's growth over the past decade shed light on some important demographic shifts.

• There was a decline in Black residents over the past decade.
• Newark gained an additional 2.5% Hispanic residents over the same period, the majority of them are foreign-born from Latin America.
• The majority of the city's growth occurred in the South, West and Central Wards.
• Even by conservative estimates, Newark is projected to growth over the next decade. Newark is expected to be increasingly Hispanic, decreasingly Black and White, and increasingly foreign-born.

Diversity

Diversity contributes to Newark's identity. It has and will always be a city comprised of minorities and immigrants. Neighborhoods like the Ironbound are home to the largest concentrations of Portuguese and Brazilian communities in the U.S. There are 95 languages spoken in the city – the most prominent languages spoken other than English are Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. The world moved in to replace the void left behind by White Flight. Newark continues to serve as a gateway city for New Americans here to pursue the American Dream.

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^ FIGURE 2 Population and growth in the City of Newark Source. (a) Census.gov ACS Estimates; (b) Population and Labor Force Projections for New Jersey: 2010 to 2030, New Jersey Department of Lavor and Workforce Development.

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^ FIGURE 3 Newark residents are increasingly foreign-born - representing many flags Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates, WRT

Poverty

Newark continues to be one of the poorest cities in the region with a poverty rate of 27.4%. Childhood poverty is at 37%, with a higher number for Black children. Two out of every five Black children live in poverty in Newark. Recent COVID-related federal stimulus checks have dramatically reduced poverty rates. However, this relief is short-lived and poverty rates are expected to soar above 28% in 2022. Additionally Newark’s uniquely low homeownership rate means that about a third of all Black and Brown households in the city have zero savings.

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^ FIGURE 5 Poverty rate in the City of Newark Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

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^ FIGURE 7 Households with zero net worth Source. Prosperity Now, Racial Wealth Divide in Newark

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^ FIGURE 6 Poverty rate: change overtime in the City of Newark, likely to increase in the wake of COVID-19 Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

^ FIGURE 4 Demographics in the City of Newark Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

1, where high scores (closer to 1) indicate high diversity and low scores (closer to 0) indicate low diversity.

*Diversity index measures community diversity. The range is from 0 to

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FIGURE 8 Overall Population by Race in each of the 5 Wards

Source: Census.gov ACS Estimates

Legend

• White
• Black
• Hispanic

SPOTLIGHT

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Resilient New Jersey

Resilient New Jersey, a program administered through the NJDEP Bureau of Climate Resilience Planning, brings together planners, engineers, designers, and other experts to address flood-related hazards at a regional scale. Four regions statewide are currently conducting intensive planning efforts around climate-related resilience efforts. Resilient Northeastern New Jersey comprises Hoboken, Jersey City, Bayonne, and Newark. Though projected climate impacts are broad, the RNENJ team is primarily addressing flood risk, generating strategies for mitigation as a region.

In Summer 2022 the project team released their community-preferred scenarios and strategies. The Newark360 work aligns with the RNENJ team's findings and recommendations.

Urgency of Climate Action

Climate change is already impacting Newarkers and the impacts will worsen in the coming decades. Since the previous Master Plan, Newark has experienced Hurricane Sandy, Tropical Storms Henri and Ida, and other heavy rain and heat wave events. Sandy prompted reexamining and updating FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps; however, rainfall flooding has led to serious and repeated disruptions to Newark businesses and livelihoods.

Climate projections show a continued increase in high heat days and severe storm events. According to Resilient Northeastern NJ, all of Newark's wards rank above the 75% percentile in an analysis using the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index. Newark's social vulnerability is compounded by its physical vulnerabilities like flood risk, proximity to industrial polluters, and more.

Newark is one of the most climate vulnerable places in the US.

• City of Newark Office of Sustainability

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^ FIGURE 9 Temperature Increase & Projections New Jersey State Scientific Report on Climate Change (2020)

"By the middle of the 21st century, around 70% of summers in the Northeast are anticipated to be hotter than the warmest summer to date."

Source: New Jersey State Scientific Report on Climate Change (2020)

Climate-related events like flooding jeopardize some of Newark's critical health and safety infrastructure

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key takeaways

There are 2 Newarks - one impacted heavily by environmental risk factors, and another spared. The futures of both are inextricably linked to the resilient success of the city as a whole.

FIGURE 10 Overlapping Risk & Vulnerability Source. City of Newark, Department of Homeland Security

The East Ward of Newark is particularly vulnerable to flooding due to the intersecting and overlapping risks of coastal storm events like Hurricane Sandy and future tidal inundation due to sea level rise. Flooding also brings risk to critical infrastructure like Newark's electric substations, connector highways, and hospitals, many of which lie near or within areas of past flooding.

Legend

• Sandy flooding
• 5' Sea Level Rise
• Storm event flooding (ex. Ida)
• Storm surge zones (SLOSH)
• Hospitals
• Electrical Substations
• Roadways Flooded in Sandy

Housing Crisis

National Housing Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified housing inequities in the US. Households that weathered the pandemic without financial distress are snapping up the limited supply of homes for sale, pushing up prices and further excluding less affluent Americans from homeownership.¹ At the same time, millions of households at the other end of the income spectrum were economically devastated during shutdowns – many are behind on their housing payments and on the brink of eviction or foreclosure. A disproportionately large share of these at-risk households are renters with low incomes and people of color.² During the peak of the crisis, when it was imperative for everyone to stay home and maintain social distancing, over 580,000 Americans were experiencing homelessness in shelters or on the streets.³

The 2021 National Housing Wage* is $24.90 per hour for a modest two bedroom rental home and $20.40 per hour for a modest one-bedroom rental home. There is no city in the United States where an individual earning minimum wage can afford to live.

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image: City of Newark

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FIGURE 11 Median home value in the United States between 2010-2019

Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

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FIGURE 12 National homeownership rate

Source. (a) Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership Third Quarter 2021, November 2021. Census.gov. (b) HUD’s Office of Policy Development & Research 2019-2020 Biennial Report

The national homeownership rate has improved in the last quarters of 2020, but the changes in survey methodology in the second and third quarters of 2020 due to COVID-19 made relative changes in the rate difficult to measure.

New housing like Somerset Brownstones helps to fill the affordability gap in Newark

• National Housing Wage is the estimate of the hourly wage a full-time worker must earn to afford a rental home at HUD's fair market rate (FMR) without spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs, the accepted standard of affordability.

There is no city in the United States where an individual earning minimum wage can afford to live

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FIGURE 13 Share of national households behind on housing payments Source. JCHS, Harvard, 2021

Renter Owner

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FIGURE 14 National rent affordability Source.NLIHC, 2021

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program designated to help aged, blind, and disabled people who have little or no income; it provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

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FIGURE 15 States with the largest shortfall between average renter wage and two-bedroom housing wage Source.NLIHC, 2021 The average New Jerseyan makes $12.57 less per hour than what is needed to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment in the Garden State.

In an unaffordable region, Newark’s home values are relatively cheap - but still more than most Newarkers can afford

Regional Housing Crisis

Newark sits in one of the most dynamic regions in America – the New York-Newark-Jersey City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The region is fast growing and is one of the least affordable and the most segregated metropolitan areas in the US.¹

The region boasts 7.7 million housing units with a vacancy rate of 9.3%. Its geographic advantage of being the primary gateway region along the Eastern Seaboard also makes it highly vulnerable to global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, sea level rise and severe weather events. Newark’s housing market competes in the same arena as bedroom communities in Essex County, high-rise condominiums in Jersey City, and neighborhoods in New York City’s outer boroughs.

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in 1975 and again in 1983 that municipal land use regulations that prevent affordable housing opportunities for the poor are unconstitutional. All New Jersey municipalities are now required to plan, zone for, and take affirmative actions to provide realistic opportunities for their “fair share” of the region’s need for affordable housing for low and moderate- income people, a case law that is known as the Mount Laurel Doctrine.

If Newark’s surrounding suburban communities provide their fair share of affordable housing, Newark’s housing crisis would look very different.

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< FIGURE 16 Median home value in the New York-Newark- Jersey City Metro Area and the City of Newark Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

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< Dedication of a new housing project

Newark Housing Crisis

Before the coronavirus pandemic killed over 2,300 Newarkers and increased unemployment from 7% to 17%, advocates for affordable housing and equitable growth were concerned with displacement, gentrification, eviction and homelessness.¹ Newarkers are particularly housing insecure because most Newarkers are low-income renters.

Additionally, Newark’s housing crisis is intertwined with the region’s climate crisis, environmental injustices, as well as transportation inequity, and further exacerbated by language and cultural barriers that unfairly disadvantages its large foreign-born population.

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FIGURE 17 Homeownership rate in the New York-Newark-Jersey City Metro Area and the City of Newark Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

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FIGURE 18 Median gross rent in the New York-Newark-Jersey City Metro Area and the City of Newark Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

FIGURE 19 Income levels, housing tenure, and cost-burdened households in the City of Newark Source. Census.gov, 2019 ACS Estimates for the City of Newark

Figure 17 shows that the majority of households in the City of Newark at and under 120% AMI* are housing cost burdened**, regardless of tenure.

More than 70% of households in the City of Newark rent, and more than 65% of them are housing cost-burdened. Of those renters under the 80% AMI threshold,the housing cost-burdened households reach 80% - nearly every low-income household in Newark not protected by housing safety net programs is housing cost-burdened.

• Area Median Income (AMI) is a measure used widely to classify how affordable the housing stock is. The AMI represents the point at which half of all the households earn more and half earn less. It is calculated every year based on household gross income.

** Housing cost-burdened is the threshold HUD sets for housing affordability: households that spend more than 30% of the income in housing costs, including rent, utilities, and taxes, are considered to be housing cost burdened.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 Pandemic that engulfed all aspects of American life since March 2020 has not yet abated. With the current surge of the Omicron Variant, we are still living in the midst of a pandemic – a pandemic that disproportionately impacts the lives of Black and Brown Americans. According to the Center for Disease Control, conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, play, and worship affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes, such as COVID-19 infection, severe illness, and death. These conditions are known as social determinants of health.

One barometer of an extreme impact of COVID-19 is the Newark International Airport (EWR) which saw record-breaking passenger volume in 2019 at over 35 million passengers. Pre-COVID, over 660,000 tons of air cargo and 55,000 ton of air mail flowed through EWR. Post-COVID, traffic through EWR dropped to as low as 15% of normal volume.

Four key topic areas of social determinants of health contribute to racial and ethnic minority groups being disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in Newark. Discrimination, which includes racism and associated chronic stress, influences each of these key topic areas.

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted the lives of Black and Brown Americans

^ FIGURE 20 Death rate per 100,000 cases Source. (a) CDC; (b) Census.gov ACS Estimates

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^ FIGURE 21 Percentage of Newarkers that have been vaccinated Source. CDC

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image: Newark City Parks

^ Outdoor events have resumed in the COVID-19 era with safety measures like masking requirements

Neighborhood and Physical Environment

Black and Brown Newarkers are disproportionately affected by difficulties finding affordable and quality housing in Newark. This limits their housing options to neighborhoods and residences with mostly other racial and ethnic minority groups, crowded conditions, and that lack access to reliable transportation. These conditions may make illnesses, diseases, and injuries more common and more severe, when experienced. In addition, access to nutritious affordable foods may be limited, and they may experience more environmental pollution within their neighborhoods. In some cultures, it is common for family members of many generations to live in one household, which could lead to exposure for older adults who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

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FIGURE 22 Housing cost-burdened renters of color in the City of Newark Source. Prosperity Now, Racial Wealth Divide in Newark

Health and Healthcare

Black and Brown Newarkers are disproportionately affected by lack of access to quality health care, health insurance, and/or linguistically and culturally responsive health care. Inequities in treatment may result in distrust of government and healthcare systems. Such barriers increase risks for poor health and health outcomes by limiting health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and condition management activities.

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FIGURE 23 Language spoken and non-citizen population Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

Occupations and Job Conditions

Newarkers are disproportionately represented in essential work settings such as retail, hospitality, and construction. Workers in these settings have more chances to be exposed to COVID-19 because these types of jobs require frequent or close contact with the public or other workers, involve activities that cannot be done from home, and may lack benefits such as paid sick days.

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FIGURE 24 Top employment industries in the City of Newark Source. Census.gov ACS Estimates

Income and Wealth

Black and Brown Newarkers have lower incomes, experience barriers to wealth accumulation, and carry greater debt. Such challenges may make managing expenses, paying medical bills, and accessing affordable quality housing, nutritious food, and reliable childcare difficult.¹ Nationally, a Black American is 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalized by COVID-19 and a Hispanic American is 2.4 times more likely to be hospitalized.²

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FIGURE 25 Percentage of Black and Hispanic households with zero assets in Newark Source. Prosperity Now, Racial Wealth Divide in Newark

• Zero net worth is defined as the value of assets exactly equaling liabilities.

SPOTLIGHT

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image: City of Newark

“I’m from Newark, and I’m proud of it.”

Opening with gratitude and pride for Newarkers, city administrators, and for his Newark roots, Mayor Ras J. Baraka delivered Part 1 of a two-part State of the City Address on October 26, 2021.

Outlining the maintenance and growth of city functions and programming, Mayor Baraka shared highlights on the city’s various pandemic responses, continued efforts to reduce inequity, efforts to reform and create new public safety resources, continued efforts to provide quality education and social programs, as well as development and housing affordability. Each of these topics is reflected in the Newark360 Master Plan.

City Priorities

Newark Forward & the COVID-19 Era

The office of the Mayor amplified its principles for progressing Newarkers’ outlooks during the onset of the pandemic:

In 2018, Mayor Baraka put forth a vision for an equitable Newark based on a comprehensive citywide engagement process, Newark Forward. Newark360 will build Newark Forward's core values of Health, Equity, and Resilience into the physical environment of the City. With community voices rooted in the creation of this platform, its concluding five points underscore the importance of collective action to achieve the following:

• An Empowered City: where residents have the capacity to change their lives.
• A Safer City: where-trauma informed care is at the heart of public safety.
• An Educated City: where residents meet their learning needs, and are able to get into educational pipelines for success.
• An Equitable City: guided by racial, social, environmental and economic justice.
• A Collaborative City: where institutions work together for precedent setting urban revitalization.

State of the City

To support the ongoing physical maintenance of Newark the Mayor shared the following calls to action:

“A time for solid leadership...”

Mayor Baraka identified the need for stability and clarity in collective leadership as a response to the mounting social pressures shaping this new decade. The Covid-19 Pandemic and heightened calls for racial and economic justice of 2020 have become central to the framework for how the city addresses virtually all of its services. While endurance is necessary, the Mayor also shared his office’s desire to rise above the pre-pandemic status quo and shared highlights to advance the city’s standing, in addition to a recovery effort.

“We have to begin to fix it...”

Despite advances Newarkers have, the hallmark indicators of poverty and economic stagnation find themselves disproportionately in Newark (when compared to NJ and the overall region). Throughout his address the Mayor discussed efforts to reduce inequity, and ended with a resonate call for Newarkers to look beyond recovery to begin to discuss reparations as a means to make progressive structural change in Newark.

“Public Safety involves all of us...”

While highlighting reforms to the carceral system, including closing the consent decree with the Department of Justice (for better officer training), and creating the Newark Community Museum of Social Justice, the Mayor also highlighted additional reform initiatives as the push for a Civilian Complaint Review Board with subpoena power. Addressing public safety in the physical realm, the Mayor also shared that the city has expanded its safe passageway to school initiative and its work to create innovative approaches to handing public safety.

“We did not miss a beat...”

Occupying a significant portion of the Mayor’s address, the adaptation of programs and services during the pandemic and economic shutdown has been a point of pride. With community health, the environment, and community resiliency at the forefront of the Mayor’s programming, additional services had to be crafted during the pandemic to protect seniors, single parents, houseless Newarkers and more.

“A cry for more [affordable] housing...”

With the CLiME (Rutgers Center on Law, Inequality, and Metropolitan Equity) report identifying Newark as short 16,000 units of affordable housing the Mayor spent a significant amount of time discussing development efforts in the city and efforts to retain housing affordability and the protection of tenant’s rights. The quality of development was also discussed as the city works to remove its lead lines, shore up community for sea level rise, and more.

Health, Equity, and Resilience in Newark Today

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image: Audible / Newark Happening

This is an unprecedented moment to reimagine our city.

Because we choose to rise out of the pandemic stronger, our vision for the city in 10 years will be one forged in healthier lives, more equitable communities, and a resilient future.

The following pages provide a snapshot of Newark’s foundational strengths and the challenges we must overcome together under the Health, Equity and Resilience framework. Many of the complex conditions assessed relate to more than one of these categories, and strategies to address them will need to be equally balanced. These cross-cutting intersections will be explored further in the development of the Newark360 Master Plan.

HEALTH

A healthier Newark is focused on healthy Newark households that have access to quality outdoor spaces, requisite services, nourishing foods, cultural activities, peace of mind, and good quality of life at all stages and wards.

EQUITY

An equitable Newark is guided by racial, social, environmental and economic justice in which the government and the private sector work to guarantee residents have access to competitive salary, contribute to our growing workforce, have quality housing and truly benefit from the city’s prosperity.

RESILIENCE

A resilient Newark recovers from environmental, economic, social, physical, and governmental stressors quickly and stronger. Resilient Newarkers can count on systems set up to weather storms, floods, power outages, pandemics, and economic downturns – bouncing back towards even greater vibrancy.

HEALTH

Parks are essential social infrastructure, supporting physical and mental health, community cohesion, and civic pride. Parks also perform environmental services, reducing urban heat, creating space for water to drain into the soil, and providing habitat.

Newark’s Park Mosaic

Newark has approximately 857 acres of developed park land in 57 parks, ranging from immersive green environments to downtown plazas. While the greatest number of Newark’s parks are owned and operated by the City, less than 10 percent of park land is City-owned.

Essex County operates 10 parks in Newark, including the City’s largest parks and many of its recreation amenities. Branch Brook and Weequahic parks feature historic park landscapes and special features (festival spaces, roller skating rinks, golf courses). Access to these parks is constrained by freeways and rail lines, and Newarkers at times do not feel embraced by the County’s parks.

The City’s own parks include the historic parks that help give shape and quality of life to downtown, including Military, Harriet Tubman, and Lincoln Parks. They also include recreation centers and pools distributed around the city. While the City has made important investments in recent years, the City’s parks overall show the effects of limited public resources.

Other recreation and public space providers include Newark Public Schools and the Housing Authority. These spaces help fill gaps, can be especially important in offering recreation amenities.

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image: Trust for Public Land

^ Harriet Tubman Park

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image: City of Newark

^ Marquis “Bo” Porter Sports Complex

The former St. Peter’s Recreation Center was fully renovated and renamed, with a state-of-the-art swimming pool, new baseball field, and, in 2021, a premier turf soccer field.

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^ FIGURE 26 Park Operators in Newark Source. Trust for Public Land, 2021.

42 | Newark Today

Enhancing the Park System

Recent Accomplishments

The City has made significant investments in parks in recent years, with a strong emphasis on modernizing recreation facilities. Recreation centers in the West, South and East wards saw major renovations, and the John F. Kennedy Recreation & Aquatic Center in the Central Ward is currently being renovated. Other improvements have brought new playgrounds and artificial turf sports fields, as well as beautification.

Park Opportunities and Green Connections

Newark’s 2012 Master Plan called for improving access to neighborhood parks; making progress toward a regional open space network, continuing to create partnerships with schools and institutions, and supporting thriving community gardens. With Newark360, the City has an opportunity to provide focus and renewed energy for the next ten years. Specific opportunities include:

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• While Trust for Public Land reports Newark's park acreage as 857 acres, the analysis done for this report finds 847 acres.

^ FIGURE 27 Comparative Park Systems and Resources Source. Trust for Public Land, 2021.

FIGURE 28 Newark's Parks

Source. Trust for Public Land, 2021.

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FIGURE 29 Parks and Park Access

Most of the City's neighborhoods have walkable access to parks. Still, in many cases those parks have limited recreational amenities. Parts of the City, especially in the Central and West Wards, are park deserts.

• This list includes only developed City parks. Some small sites with minimal improvements may not be included.

** Newark Board of Education, Newark Public Schools, NJ Performing Arts Center, Rutgers University, State of NJ, US Gov.

Parks & Parksheds

• Municipal Park
• County Park
• Recreation Center
• Outdoor Plaza
• Other
• Walkshed 1/2 mi

Population Density

• <20
• <40
• <60
• <80

HEALTH

Newark today builds on a strong foundation of environmental justice advocacy and mobilization. In the coming decade, growing a healthy city depends on continuing this work to address the physical and social dimensions of resilience.

Environmental Justice

Too often communities with high social risk are also in close proximity to environmental risks like flooding or toxic polluting sites, creating layered injustices. In our current environmental crisis we can see the history of urban policy and the legacy of the industrial city intersecting with the climate crisis. These impacts touch almost every neighborhood in Newark.

Upper Clinton Hill / Weequahic

Coastal Inundation (SANDY) + Sea Level Rise

Rainfall flooding

Impervious Surfaces

Land Surface Temperature (URBAN HEAT Island)

Land Use

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v FIGURE 30 Compounding Vulnerabilities

Climate change trends affect the whole city, but we know that climate impacts are local. We see this in the variable existing conditions and infrastructure of Newark neighborhoods. To begin planning for resilience, we need to understand the climate stressors that intersect with land use, infrastructure, natural resources, and social characteristics. Social and physical risks compound to make some neighborhoods vulnerable to interrelated crises.

Potential cascading impacts of flooded highway corridor

Industrial properties with high heat impacts

Opportunity to increase green infrastructure with development

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Reducing social vulnerability can decrease both human suffering and economic loss

key takeaways

Every ward in Newark contains census tracts that have a high degree of social vulnerability, compounding risks from natural or man-made disasters

FIGURE 31 Social Vulnerability Source. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html, NJGIN

Social vulnerability refers to the potential negative effects on communities caused by external stresses on human health. Such stresses include natural or human-caused disasters, or disease outbreaks. Reducing social vulnerability can decrease both human suffering and economic loss. The CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index (CDC/ATSDR SVI) uses 15 Census variables to help officials identify communities that may need support before, during, or after disasters.

Social Vulnerability Index

• 0.95-1 (high)
• 0.85-0.95
• 0.75-0.85
• 0.65-0.75
• < 0.65 (moderate)

Sites of industry/ Potential Contamination

• Industrial Facilities
• Contaminated Sites
• Brownfields
• Power Generators
• Substations

Shaping Our City Together | 47

HEALTH

Newark is weathering the COVID-19 pandemic with steadfastness and care for its citizens. The city continues to provide access to safety net programs such as unemployment, rental assistance, small business grants and other city, state and federal benefits. Resources are available to help Newarkers navigate housing rights, getting tested, receiving food, avoiding infection and reopening measures. Despite these efforts, Newark will be a different city after the pandemic - with greater housing insecurity, less social cohesion, a greater dependency on government stewardship, and likely lower life expectancy (in a city where zip codes already unfairly determine outcomes).

Inequities Exposed by COVID-19

As of January 10, 2022, the City of Newark reported a total of 65,061 total positive cases and a total of 1,086 deaths. The stories behind these deaths shed light on inequities in our communities as a result of structural racism. A significant majority of deaths in Newark affected Newarkers 50 years old and older. Given many multi-generational households in Newark (particularly prevalent among Hispanic communities), this may have long-term effects on childcare.

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^ FIGURE 33 Total detected COVID-19 test results by age Source. City of Newark COVID-19 Tracker

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^ FIGURE 32 Confirmed COVID-19 deaths by age in the City of Newark Source. City of Newark COVID-19 Tracker

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^ FIGURE 34 Percentage of fully vaccinated Newarkers and number of COVID-19 deaths by ethnicity/race Source. City of Newark COVID-19 Tracker

48 | Newark Today

key takeaways

Residents in the North Ward had the highest rates of COVID-19 deaths, with the West and Central Wards following closely

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▲ FIGURE 35 COVID-19 deaths in the City of Newark Source. (a) City of Newark COVID-19 Tracker; (b) NJ.gov; c) Census. gov ACS Estimates

76.6 years is the life expectancy in Newark

80.7 years is the life expectancy in New Jersey

Population Density by Census Block

COVID-19 deaths & Healthcare Providers

• COVID-19 deaths by ZIP code
• Federally Qualified Health Center
• 1/2 mi radius
• Testing sites (not including mobile sites)
• Hospitals/Medical Centers

Shaping Our City Together | 49

Newark’s historic housing stock is beautiful and emblematic of the city’s rich history and heritage. Housing in Newark is attractive from its unique competitive market advantage – its location at a national crossroads of commerce, freight, passenger travel, and supported by institutional anchors. However housing in Newark does not serve the average Newarker who is a black/brown, low-income renter – often one illness, one flood event, one deferred maintenance calamity, one lost paycheck away from complete housing insecurity.

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< ▴ FIGURE 37 Housing subsidy rates in Newark Wards Source. Homes Beyond Reach, Rutgers CLiME

● Public Housing ● Vouchers ● Project Based Section 8

Housing Opportunity and Inequity

Stable housing is the bedrock of a stable household – without stable housing, everything else is on precarious footing – education, nutrition, mental health, personal safety, employment, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized the importance of stable housing. Today housing is more than just a roof over our heads – it is where we go to work, where we attend school, and where we convalesce from illness.

Newarkers are especially vulnerable to displacement – high percentage of renter households, cost burdened at almost every income level, and sitting squarely in a growing, affluent region where housing costs are at a fever pitch. In a city where about a third of all housing units are subsidized, we have to be careful that we do not dig Newark even deeper into a hole and solidify its destiny as a poor city. Additionally Newark’s identity as a city of immigrants is threatened when well-intentioned housing policies drive foreign-born communities further into the margins of neighborhoods – into unsafe, unhealthy basements and garages.

There isn’t just one roadmap to navigate out of Newark’s housing crisis. We can’t solely build our way out. Newark has deployed a suite of policies to address its housing crisis, including stronger rent control, inclusionary zoning, amended zoning codes, and subsidies for first-time home buyers. These policies alone are not going to solve the city's housing crisis. Newark360 recognizes that we also need to zone our city in such a way that historic barriers to entry to robust employment opportunities need to be addressed. Solving for higher incomes must be part of this planning process.

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FIGURE 38 Housing Vulnerability Source. NJGIN, City of Newark, census.gov, ACS Estimates

Preliminary analysis shows neighborhoods with the highest need for affordable one-bedroom rental apartments, overlaid with the percentage increase in median rent across the past decade.

Median Rent Increase since 2010

• 25-50% rent increase
• 50-100% rent increase
• +100% rent increase
• <6 units needed

Needed <$900 Low-Rent Units per 100 rental housholds

• 6 - 16 units needed
• 17 - 24 units needed
• 25+ units needed

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^ FIGURE 39 Housing vacancy rate per Ward Source. Census.gov

938 adults homeless living in Newark 504 children homeless living in Newark

^ FIGURE 40 Homelessness in the City of Newark Source. Newark Cares

Newarkers are especially vulnerable to housing displacement

Housing Vision

Ensure all Newarkers have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, to ensure that our city continues to be a vibrant gateway to the opportunities of the region for all, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, or immigration status.

City of Newark Housing Goals (2021):

1. Add 3,000 new homes across all five wards by 2026; and 8,000 homes by 2032.
2. Fund the creation or preservation of 6,600 affordable homes by 2026, prioritizing affordability at or below 30% AMI.
3. Convey all city-controlled vacant properties by 2026, with at least 30% affordable units.
4. Support 1,500 new and 200 existing low- and moderate-income homeowners by 2026.
5. Support 10,000 vulnerable or unsheltered households annually by 2026.

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^ Historic housing stock in Dayton

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key takeaways Neighborhoods with older housing stock, high poverty, and low rent control percentages can indicate areas of high vulnerability to displacement

Neighborhoods like Dayton have some beautiful historic houses, but lower-income renters may bear the burden of repairs and maintenance.

FIGURE 41 Poverty & Building Age Source. NJGIN, City of Newark, US Census ACS

Neighborhoods with both a high poverty rate and older housing stock can indicate higher risk to tenants. Generally older building stock is in greater need of maintenance and repairs, and this, coupled with a low percentage of rent controlled apartments, can be an indicator of vulnerability to displacement.

% Residents Below Poverty

• <25%
• 25 - 30%
• 30 - 35%
• 35 - 40%

• 40%

• 70 (years) Housing stock age (2019)

Newark: Economic Anchor for New Jersey

Key Industries

Newark is a key employment center for the region with 150,000 jobs – the largest single concentration in New Jersey. Key industries include transportation and warehousing, educational services, healthcare / social services, and financial services.

Transportation & Warehousing

This industry employs more than 27,000 people and is anchored by the presence of the Port of NY/NJ as well as the growth in regional distribution facilities such as Amazon. Since 2015 this sector has added more than 4,000 jobs.

Educational Services

The city’s 5 institutions of higher education are a major source of employment in the city and a significant contributor to the city’s population. More than 35,000 people work and study in Newark’s higher education community.¹ Newark is home to the Rutgers’ business school, the largest teaching medical center in the state, Seton Hall’s law school, and NJIT, a nationally ranked public university.

EQUITY Home to 150,000 jobs and a national junction for freight and passenger travel, Newark remains New Jersey’s largest economic center. The city’s economy has outperformed the state over the last several years in terms of jobs growth. However, less than a quarter of Newarkers participate in the city’s economic base: a majority of employed Newarkers leave the city limits to work in low-pay, low-skill jobs.

Only 27,000 Newarkers work within the city limits, with 81,000 residents commuting to other cities

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Healthcare and Social Services

This sector employs more than 14,000 people. The city hosts 3 major hospitals as well as numerous social service agencies. More than 1,500 hospital beds exist in the city. Newark’s medical facilities include important tertiary care services.

Financial Services

Newark is a financial services hub that employs over 10,000 people. Since 2015 it has added more than 1,700 jobs. It is the headquarters for the Prudential, which is a significant contributor to the city’s property tax base.¹

Made in Newark - Enterpreneurial Scene

Newark has an active entrepreneurial sector. In 2019 approximately 2,400 people worked in firms incorporated within the past year. Since 2015 Newark has averaged 2,452 people per year working in new firms.² Businesses employing fewer than 20 people represent 9% of the total employment in the city. Firms employing less than 50 people total 14% of employment in the city.

A 2019 analysis conducted by Prosperity Now provides some interesting insight on minority owned small businesses: small minority owned businesses do not appear to be scaling up in size, limiting the ability to build wealth. This may be a function of the nature of their industries, the value of the businesses, or difficulty accessing capital for expansion.

Neighborhood small businesses are typically retail merchants, restaurants or household / personal services businesses. A key issue facing these types of small businesses in Newark is the limited disposable income of many residents. Disposable incomes impact the ability to support community amenities and needed services. Forty percent of the city has disposable incomes of less than $25,000 per year, limiting real support for local businesses.

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^ FIGURE 44 Business Value: Ownership by Race Source. Prosperity Now, Racial Wealth Divide in Newark

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^ FIGURE 45 Businesses without Paid Employees (typ. small entrepreneurs): Ownership by Race Source. Prosperity Now, Racial Wealth Divide in Newark

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^ FIGURE 46 Disposable Income by Households, 2021 Source. Prosperity Now, Racial Wealth Divide in Newark

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▲ FIGURE 47 Activity Tax, 2019 Source. City 2020 Official Statement for Bond Refunding

• Parking
• Hotel
• Payroll

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▲ FIGURE 48 Total Activity Taxes and Payroll Tax Subset Trend** Source. City 2020 Official Statement for Bond Refunding

• Total activity taxes are the additional revenue received by the City on or after a year (2017, 2018, 2019), from taxes imposed by the City and other taxing districts. ** Payroll tax is the percentage withheld from an employee's salary by the government to fund public programs.

Economic Performance

Tax Base Performance and Investment

The city’s taxable property value is approximately $12.3 billion, which has remained relatively flat since 2015. Approximately 33% of the city’s taxable property base is commercial and another 10% is industrial. Including property owned by the Port of NY/NJ, 20.5% of the city’s land area is tax exempt. It is important to note that tax-exempt does not mean non-revenue producing because of PILOT agreements, state aid, and time limited tax abatements that support redevelopment of abandoned or underutilized properties. For example, Newark has seen nearly $1 billion in new investment over the last several years across different property classifications which may not be reflected in the calculations of the city’s taxable property base.¹

Activity-based taxes - defined as special taxes for the City of Newark - are generated by people working, staying, and “playing” in Newark. These include payroll, parking and hotel taxes. They are also a major source of revenue for the city. The year 2019 is used because it provides a better window into the role and trend of these taxes before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, these taxes equaled more than $92 million with 28% coming from parking taxes, 9% from hotel stays, and 63% from payroll.

Over the last several years total activity-based taxes have grown by 11% with payroll taxes growing by 13%. With payroll taxes representing more than $57 million, this implies that Newark had a citywide payroll of more than $5.7 billion in 2019 – an increase of more than $600 million in 2 years.

Only a small percentage of Newarkers participate in the city’s economic base

Employment Trends

From 2015 to 2019 (last year available) Newark’s job base had grown by 8% adding nearly 11,000 jobs. This rate of job growth exceeded the state of New Jersey and the County’s. However, it was slower than New York City and adjacent counties.

Despite this growth in jobs Newark’s unemployment rate has consistently been higher than the region and/or the state. For example, in 2019 Newark’s unemployment rate was 11.3%, approximately 15,000 people. This unemployment rate compares to a New Jersey rate of 5.5% and New York/Newark/Jersey City metro rate of 5.5%.

This higher unemployment rate in Newark despite the overall growth in jobs is largely due to the fact that most jobs in Newark are filled by non-Newarkers. 82% of jobs in Newark are filled by non-residents.

Jobs/Workforce Gap

Newark hosts nearly 150,000 jobs but has a workforce size of approximately 123,000 people (working plus unemployed residents). Newarkers could not fill all of the jobs hosted by the city. Industry Employment Gap analysis (Fig.43) shows that Newark has more jobs in Transportation / Warehousing than it has residents working in those industries. Conversely there are more Newarkers working in retail trade than the city has jobs in that sector.

Additionally, there is evidence based upon the industry employment gap analysis as well as educational attainment statistics that jobs in Newark require higher levels of education than exist of the resident workforce. Nearly 30% of the people working in Newark have college degrees, while only 18% of Newark’s resident workforce have college degrees.

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▲ FIGURE 49 Employment Change Index Source. On the map

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▲ FIGURE 50 Inflow/Outflow of Jobs Source. On the Map 2019 inflow/outflow analysis of all jobs

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▲ FIGURE 51 Percentage of Educational Attainment by Place of Work Source. On the Map

Transportation and Circulation

Newark is the most populous city in New Jersey and has an extensive transportation system to match. A combination of rail and bus transit, roadways, personal mobility options, and air- and seaport facilities help Newarkers and visitors go about their lives. The City's transportation facilities are vital to the region, as Newark acts as a gateway for both goods and people to reach their destinations.

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• Commuters at Penn Station

However, the city's current transportation system grapples with a series of complex constraints. The following conditions have been identified that limit Newarkers' access to equitable transportation and circulation:

• Infrastructure that acts as a barrier, limiting access to jobs and opportunity.
• Gaps in transit and bike networks that leave many communities underserved.
• A transportation network that has been built to get commuters to and through Newark, and not to help residents access their city.
• Compounded inequalities with isolated and historically disenfranchised communities being exposed to disproportionate amounts of vehicle emissions.

These constraints are discussed in detail with the goal of establishing a common understanding of the problems that the Newark360 Master Plan aims to address. Overall, improvements in the transportation network need to be made to ensure all residents have access to jobs, that historically redlined and disenfranchised neighborhoods are no longer cut off from mobility services, and that residents have access to a sustainable transportation system that promotes health, equity, and resilience.

As with all complex systems, Newark's transportation network functions well for some users but not others

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FIGURE 52 Citywide Transportation Network Source: NJ TRANSIT NewBus Newark Study, 2021

Newark’s transportation network, showing regional and local train lines, bus routes, stations, ports, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, and roadways. Newark has great connections to the regional transit and road networks, but has limited rapid transit systems that serve local Newarkers that want to live, work and enjoy the amenities that Newark has to offer.

Transportation Network

Transit

Due to the low rates of car-ownership throughout the city, transit is an essential component of how Newarkers move around. The City’s bus network, operated by NJ TRANSIT, is the 20th largest bus system in the country. As part of the NewBus Newark bus network redesign project, NJ TRANSIT found that 44% of bus riders do not own a car, 58% have household incomes below $35,000, and 80% ride the bus 5 or more times each week. These facts reinforce that buses are an essential service for Newarkers. The bus network, in addition to the Newark Light Rail system and transit hubs located downtown, connect Newarkers to their jobs, communities, and services necessary for health and well-being.

Newarkers identified numerous bus network deficiencies that the NewBus Newark project seeks to address within its limited existing budget. However, initial results show that there are still three components to Newark’s bus system that will continue to need improvement: frequency, reliability, and geographic distribution.

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FIGURE 53 Top Desired Service Improvements NJ TRANSIT NewBus Newark Study, 2021

● Riders ● Former riders ● Non-riders

Frequency

Much of Newark is covered by access to bus stops with bus frequencies of 10 minutes or less. However, there are pockets of the city that are underserved by the current network. Specifically, portions of South Ironbound, Upper Clinton Hill, Dayton, Vailsburg, and Woodside are not served by frequent bus service. In early 2021, nearly 42% of bus riders said their top desired service improvement is more frequent service.

Reliability

Frequent scheduled service is only good if it is reliable. Currently, the ability of buses to effectively serve Newarkers is hindered by roadway congestion. A 2020 Regional Plan Association (RPA) study found that over 60% of bus riders reported their bus arrived late to their stop three or more times per week on average, with delays often exceeding 15 minutes. Unreliable bus service can significantly impact Newarkers ability to get to jobs on time, pick up children, and conveniently reach amenities and public services.

Geographic Distribution

When bus service is both frequent and reliable, it still only serves riders near stations and whose destinations are along convenient routes. Geographic distribution is a critical component of making sure Newarkers can access jobs and essential services. There are geographic gaps in how this service is distributed.

The hub and spoke design of the current system makes it easy for riders to travel to the downtown core, but difficult to reach other neighborhoods, or other job centers, without transferring buses. Transfers between low-frequency buses adds delay, discomfort, and safety concerns for riders. Nearly 20% of non-riders indicated fewer transfer connections as their most desired service improvement, indicating it is barring many people from riding the bus in Newark.

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FIGURE 54 Transit Access and Jobs Source. Newark GIN Open Data, Jobs: Census Data, OnTheMap, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html

This map shows how Newark’s transit system is organized in a "hub and spoke" design. Transit ridership is highest in the downtown core, and radiates outward along key corridors, indicating that downtown is both a popular destination and a frequent transfer point for riders. This system, however, limits connectivity between neighborhoods and other job centers such as Newark Airport and the industrial areas.

Transit Ridership Sparse Dense

• 10-minute "walkshed" from transit stops
• Jobs by Census Tract

Bike Infrastructure

Further limiting access to non-car-owning households is the lack of infrastructure for bikes and personal mobility options. The bike network provides great North/South connectivity from Branch Brook Park south through the Central Ward towards Weequahic park. However, there is a lack of bike facilities that do serve the corresponding bike demand, the majority of which occur in East Ward and South Ward. Cycling has a demonstrated positive impact on health, equity, the economy, and other aspects of daily life. As highlighted in the Bike Ironbound Bicycle Plan prepared in 2016, there is a significant biking demand throughout Newark based on population, employment, destination, and equity factors.

Barriers to Access

Throughout Newark, there are significant barriers which affect resident's ability to access jobs, necessary services, and cultural amenities. One of the most significant is the crisscrossing series of highways. Interstates 280, 78, and 95 connect with US Routes 22 and 9, as well as McCarter Highway and the Garden State Parkway to cut the city into physically separated chunks. These create barriers – both physical and mental – to Newarkers moving around the city, particularly significant given 39% of Newarkers lack access to a personal vehicle.

Historic federal transportation infrastructure interventions to quickly get white home owners to the newly created American suburbs destroyed some Newark neighborhoods and created barriers of access to key opportunities for employment, recreation, and education. This analysis clearly shows these barriers still exist today.

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Daily Bike Trips

• 0 - 24
• 25 - 49
• 50 - 74

• 75

• Current Bike Infrastructure

^ FIGURE 55 Bike Infrastructure Network Source. Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

There is still a mismatch between infrastructure and bike trips, with some of the most heavily traveled corridors lacking separated bike infrastructure.

Newark's bike network lacks important east-west connections

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^ FIGURE 56 Pedestrian Barriers to Access Source. Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, ©OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

The above map shows significant infrastructure barriers and their relation to walk trips within the city. Walk trips, shown in teal, decrease in intensity near barriers, demonstrating how Newarkers in different neighborhoods are cut off from each other.

Walking trips and barriers

• 0-300 trips
• 301-900 trips
• 901-2,475 trips
• 2,476-6,125 trips
• 6,126-13,875 trips

— Highway barrier

Shaping Our City Together | 63

Newark's highway and freight infrastructure provide important access around and through Newark, but vehicle emissions in close proximity to vulnerable populations can exacerbate air quality and health issues.

Emissions & Air Quality

Emissions

The network of state and national highways within Newark have not only physically separated neighborhoods from each other but also exposed some of the city’s most vulnerable populations to significant amounts of pollution. This creates long-term environmental impacts as well as immediate negative impacts on the health and well-being of Newarkers. Vehicles driven on Newark’s roads produce approximately 2,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO2e) each day, or approximately 750,000 MTCO2e each year. One MTCO2e is equal to the emissions produced from burning 1,105 pounds of coal.

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image: Cesar Melgar ^ Proximity to highway and freight infrastructure exposes Newarkers to considerable air pollution

Much of the vehicle emissions are produced by single occupancy personal vehicles and are focused on high emissions corridors, frequently mirroring the same physical barriers discussed earlier. These high emission corridors pass through residential neighborhoods and commercial hubs where people spend a significant amount of time, therefore increasing their exposure to harmful chemicals.

Populations vulnerable to vehicle emissions were assessed by determining the proximity of schools to high emission corridors. In Newark, 56 of 122 schools are within 1,000 feet of a high emission roadway. Children and teenagers are more vulnerable to infection, bronchitis, and other respiratory illnesses, as a result of exposure to air pollution. The proximity of schools to high emission roadways can create long-term health problems for children, adding yet another layered disadvantage for households that are already burdened. Newarkers are bearing the brunt of the burden from a transportation system that funnels non-Newarkers to and through the city.

56 of Newark’s 122 schools are within 1,000 ft of a high-emission roadway

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key takeaways

Vehicles passing through the city create high CO2 emissions near vulnerable Newarkers

▲ FIGURE 57 Vehicle Emissions

Source.https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html

Vehicles are a significant source of emissions in Newark. The image shows a heatmap of emissions in the City, with tree cover overlaid and school locations. There is a clear east-west divide in tree cover, and significant amounts of pollution cut directly through neighborhoods and within 1000 feet of schools, increasing the exposure of vulnerable residents and children to harmful emissions.

On-Road Vehicle Emissions

Sparse

Dense

• Tree Canopy
• Schools
• Port/Airport