FutureCAMDEN is the City's first comprehensive Master Plan revision in almost twenty-five years. It presents a vision for a brighter future and outlines the broad goals and implementation strategies to get there. As a long-term development objective FutureCAMDEN seeks a target population base of 100,000 residents and an employment target of 50,000 jobs.

No one denies Camden still faces tough challenges. Boarded up houses, coupled with vacant lots, describes an all too familiar landscape in many City neighborhoods. Population decline isn't over yet. While the public school system holds promise for improvement, it still under performs when compared to much of the State. Camden's Central Business District closes at 5:00PM and shows the cumulative effects of population loss, business decline and disinvestment. Crime, while statistically lower, remains a major community concern.

Yet in face of these challenges, Camden is at a defining moment. Camden is and remains a troubled community, but it is a City that is making steady progress toward getting better.

Numerous public, private and non-profit organizations are actively involved in steadily making Camden a better place to live and to do business. The following ongoing activities give hope towards tangible improvements being made in the City:

• Non-profit community-based organizations are currently developing more than $100 million of new and rehabilitated affordable housing in various City neighborhoods.



• Major renovations and redevelopment of McGuire Gardens and Westfield Acres, two of the City's public housing projects, into less dense, mixed income communities with home ownership opportunities is presently underway.


• Significant modernization and new school construction in all neighborhoods along with operational improvements to the educational program is about to commence.



• Economic development organizations are working toward improving job opportunities through various training initiatives together with retaining and attracting new businesses.



• The Cooper's Ferry Development Association is working in tandem with the City to continue its implementation of a $500 million waterfront revitalization program to expand on a growing tourism industry and to nurture emerging high tech economic ventures.



• Several major foundations including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and others invest in improving the human capital of the City in order to advance social programs complementary to physical improvement projects.

Primarily a guide to the physical development of the City, as is required by the State's municipal planning enabling statutes (N JSA 40:55D-28 et seq.), FutureCAMDEN also recognizes that improvement of the lives of the City's most neediest residents involves more than discrete development or physical improvement projects.

The Master Plan does not attempt to address all the social issues requiring attention within the City. However, basic social service needs related to schools, recreation, job training, health and social services, and community facilities are included within this plan.

This is a summary of a comprehensive Master Plan report that was prepared to comply with the State's Municipal Land Use Law. The full Master Plan should be referred to for further discussion of recommended improvement strategies and background planning data.

From the onset of the Master Plan program it was recognized that reflecting the aspirations of Camden's residents and other major stakeholders within the City was important in developing the plan. To this end, the City's Planning Board through its Department of Development 8 Planning initiated a mufti-phased outreach effort.

A Master Plan Advisory Committee was created that was representative of various agencies and organizations that are actively engaged in planning and development improvement activities within the City. Numerous rounds of Advisory Committee and advertised public meetings within each of the three neighborhood planning districts were held to solicit comments and recommendations from citizens during various stages of the Master Plan process.

A workshop session to receive further comment on goals and strategies to guide development of the Master Plan was hasted by the Camden Development Collaborative during its 4th annual celebration event in the year 2000.

A community-wide survey to elicit resident input into key issues and concerns to be addressed in the plan was also undertaken. Supplementing the advertised neighborhood meetings, individual interviews with over 50 key organizations, major employers, and institutions active in either providing services to residents or in the improvement of the City's physical well-being were undertaken. Several briefings were held with the Planning Board throughout the process.

A working draR Master Plan was distributed in the summer of 2000 to solicit feedback and comment. An expanded public outreach effort to obtain comments on the draft Master Plan was organized by the City through its Department of Development & Planning with technical assistance and financial support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation along with a committee of community partners including the Camden City School District.

Various public comments received were compiled by the City's planning staff into a summary and supplemental report entitled "Master Plan Public Comments and Community Input".

During the course of the draft Master Plan review, a "Multi-Year Recovery Plan" was released by the State which in addition to recommended City management and financial improvements suggested various generalized economic and neighborhood improvement initiatives. These suggested initiatives have been examined in light of the overall vision, goals and strategies recommended in the Master Plan. Where suggested improvement initiatives in the Recovery Plan are consistent with the Master Plan they have been incorporated.

The status of various neighborhood plans and redevelopment plans that have been undertaken and adopted by the City prior to the commencement of the Master Plan process are highlighted in the full report, Relevant improvement recommendations from these adopted plans were instrumental in guiding specific neighborhood improvement strategies.

The final plan review report was placed on display at libraries, schools and community centers throughout the City. Finally, the Planning Board held public hearings on the final plan, which was officially adopted by the Planning Board on March 12, 2002. Further refinements suggested at the hearings were then incorporated into the final Master Plan document.

Once adopted, the Master Plan is to be used in a variety of ways as follows:

• Integrate planning and investments on a regional basis to solve common issues.



• Provide a policy framework within which subsequent neighborhood improvement plans as wel! as higher governmental planning initiatives can be coordinated.



• Guide investments of public agencies, developers, businesses, non-profit organizations and property owners.



• Prepare the City's Capital Improvement Program and its yearly cap ital budget in support of economic and neighborhood improvement activities consistent with the Master Plan.



• Serve as the basis for the review and approval of development plans to ensure that these plans are consistent with the goals and strategies of the Master Plan.



• Update the tools to carry out the Master Plan including the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map governing the use of land as well as redevelopment plans.