Newark, NJ – October 23, 2024 – Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced today that the City of Newark has been awarded with the Daniel Burnham Comprehensive Plan Award for the Newark360 Master Plan and Land Use Regulations. Each year, the American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Awards honors planning efforts, initiatives, and individuals working to make safer, stronger, and more just communities for all.
“Newark360 was created by the people of Newark themselves,” said Mayor Baraka. “With over 10,000 touchpoints - from a highly interactive website, Facebook Live discussions, in-person community workshops, focus groups, statistically valid surveys, and the Newark Story Bus - Newark360’s community engagement was the most wide-ranging and inclusive outreach the City has ever undertaken. I am grateful for everyone who participated because Newark360 could not exist without incorporating the voices and priorities of Newarkers.”
“Newark’s Comprehensive Master Pan – Newark 360 – is a must read for professionals and citizens alike,” said Amanda Burden, Principal of Urban Planning at Bloomberg Associates.
“It is beautifully laid out, richly illustrative, and completely engaging. This plan is a national model for how citizens can shape the future of their cities.”
In announcing the award, APA said:
“Newark, New Jersey, one of the nation's oldest and most diverse communities, is embracing its future through the Newark360: Shaping Our City Together. The plan aims to accommodate growth while maintaining community integrity, inclusivity, and resiliency.
The plan’s policies specifically address inequities such as escalating housing costs, air quality issues, and lack of well-paying jobs. It is rooted in neighborhoods where citywide policies will have the most visible impact.
Recognizing the need to include voices historically excluded from planning processes, the planning team translated materials into Spanish and Portuguese to ensure all Newark residents could participate. Initiatives such as the Newark Story Bus, youth involvement through the City Planning Institute, and neighborhood workshops held in each ward built broad community engagement.
As Newark is ranked as the nation’s second-worst heat island, the planning team prioritized environmental resilience by calling for the expansion of green roofs and an enhanced tree canopy, backed by an $8 million urban forestry grant from the U.S. Forest Service which will also be distributed to community-based organizations.
Zoning reforms through the NZLUR (Newark Zoning and Land Use Regulations) which was adopted a year after Newark360 was approved, have increased the supply of mixed-use and affordable housing, allowing for three-family homes and taller buildings near transit hubs. Upzoning of commercial corridors further aims to strengthen local businesses and support more affordable housing options.
The plan exemplifies how to engage a highly diverse community through a planning process that empowers residents, addresses inequities, and promotes solutions to environmental and racial justice issues."
To learn more about the plan, visit: www.newark360.org