Walking Towards the Green – The Power of Partnerships

There are countless organizations in Camden working to make local neighborhoods as strong as they can be. The “Walking Towards the Green” health impact and livability assessment aims to bring these groups together with local residents to compile data about community assets and needs, such as sidewalks, trails, green space and access to community gardens.

Tri-State Transportation Campaign has long-standing relationships with the original project partners. We have worked with them successfully in the past to connect local trails and to advance complete streets throughout the City. Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation all have strong records of supporting projects that allow Camden residents to safely get around the City without needing to access a motor vehicle.

We have also been able to greatly expand our reach by working with a number of key volunteers from organizations that are based in the Waterfront South neighborhood, where the assessment will take place. These groups include Heart of Camden, the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, Sacred Heart Church, the District Council Collaborative Board, the Center of Environmental Transformation and the South Jersey Port Corporation, among others. With such a diverse collection of groups, we will have a wide variety of viewpoints that will only make the assessment data richer. These key community decision-makers are instrumental in identifying local residents to take part in the assessment.

We believe that these partnerships will allow us to further engage additional key Camden institutions, such as hospitals and private businesses, as well as regional and state transportation agencies in promoting the creation of transportation infrastructure, including trails, bike lanes, sidewalks and pedestrian medians. Working with our partners and volunteers, we can move towards implementing assessment recommendations that improve the safety of walking and biking in Waterfront South.