A Bridge to Equity Between Newark's South Ward and Liberty International

Darius Sollohub, professor and interim director of the New Jersey School of Architecture, Hillier College and Colette Santasieri, executive director of the Center for Community Systems, have been unwavering in their partnership to bring the full benefit of Newark’s Liberty International Airport to the city of Newark, in particular to the adjacent South Ward neighborhood.  

Joint principal investigators since 2019, Sollohub and Santasieri have designed and conducted studies on the community benefits of urban planning and design options, economic development, multi-modal transportation strategies and associated environmental impacts. This research has been supported continuously for four going on five years by grants from the Prudential Foundation in excess of a quarter of a million dollars, as well as grants from the US Economic Development Administration and New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

At the recent meeting of commissioners of the Port Authority it was reported by NJ.com that an affirmative vote was taken to approve the project to open access between the South Ward and the airport via a pedestrian bridge. Before the vote was taken Sollohub reflected on the history of the effort to reach this point. In 2017, Mayor Ras Baraka asked Sollohub and other academics and stakeholders to join city officials to form what is now call the Airport City Newark (ACN) coalition. Initially the goal was to work with Newark residents to anticipate a Path Train extension to the airport station, which was proposed, and later tabled. Since then, with the generous support from the Prudential Foundation, NJIT and the Airport City Newark Coalition has kept alive hope that the station would open, engaging students in the studies and community meetings and convening a conference. “All these efforts were to make sure that when the station opens, its benefit to the surrounding community could be maximized”, said Sollohub.  

Progress to that end is tangible. ACN includes amongst its partners Newark’s Department of Economic and Housing Development, NJ Economic Development Authority, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Rutgers University and the Weitzman School of Design in Philadelphia. Newark’s master plan includes the reopened station, the City is in the process of rezoning the station’s surrounding land usage, and last year, NJIT received joint funding from state and federal economic development authorities to develop market strategies for various forms of development around the station. Currently Sollohub and Santasieri are developing a framework for a Community Benefit Agreement to ensure local participation in this and other developments in Newark’s South Ward.

“Community engagement is a critical component of NJIT’s and the ACN Coalition’s mission and serves a dual purpose: ensuring that community members are well informed of capital improvements at Newark Airport and the potential for equitable development and access to jobs, and ensuring that the voice of the local residents is heard.  We have made great strides in bringing the local community’s social issues and challenges to the attention of the Port Authority”, said Santasieri.

“Imagine one day, arriving in New Jersey not to stand before traffic wondering where your ride is, but instead, to emerge into a thriving downtown neighborhood, buzzing with restaurants, hotels, and city life. Imagine that downtown neighborhood provides economic opportunities and amenities for residents of the South Ward. It is the vision of such a place that keeps our group and its constituency moving forward, and we look forward to a continued partnership with the Port Authority and the Newark City government in doing so”, said Sollohub.