Creating Joy in the Commons
Camden’s civic commons 2022 in pictures
Kick off your new year with inspiration from a dozen cities transforming civic assets to deliver more engaged, equitable and economically and environmentally resilient communities. Today, the fifth in our series of photo essays reflecting on the past year of progress features the civic commons work in Camden.
Celebrate with consistency
On May 20, 2022, Camden Community Partnership kicked off its season of warm weather community events with Camden Night Gardens, a signature annual celebration. It is a festival of light, music, and culture located at Cooper’s Poynt Park, a 5-acre waterfront park on the former site of Riverfront State Prison. Camden Night Gardens celebrates the transformation of this land by welcoming all Camden residents to enjoy access to the waterfront and also live performances from local musicians, interactive activities from glow-in-the-dark storytelling to flower crown making, food trucks, zip-lining, and so much more.
Upcycling open space
Sometimes, the places with the greatest potential to facilitate co-learning, relationship building, and enjoyment already exist in the folds of our built environment and just need a little light. The corner vacant lot at 5th and Erie St. in North Camden is one of these places. Recognizing this and in collaboration with local residents, Camden Community Partnership and other partners placed a spotlight on it. The team installed a major public art work consisting of sustainable and creative seating and a pizza oven, affixed two murals to the walls that face this corner lot, and made it one of the most programmed informal public spaces in Camden. This lot is perfectly poised to welcome both residents and visitors to take a seat and catch up with their neighbors and to act as the local “town square” for community events.
A New Whitman Park
On Thursday, September 15, 2022 Whitman Park was officially re-opened. This remediation project, park upgrade and expansion was the result of significant collaboration among Camden City, Camden County, Camden Redevelopment Agency, Camden Community Partnership, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Jaws Youth Playbook, and other stakeholders, including two sports youth organizations. The collective $8 million investment in this park illustrates the power of partnerships and the commitment of these various organizations to better serve the people of Camden while transforming an environmental injustice into the best athletic facilities in the entire city.
Camden residents no longer have a toxic, hazardous and derelict building as a backdrop to Whitman Park. Instead, there is a brand new turf football field, basketball courts, a second baseball field, new overhead lights and scoreboards, playground, and plenty of paths to walk.
“We have taken a place that was rife with pollution and a relic of Camden’s industrial past and transformed it into a 10-acre field of dreams for the kids and families in Whitman Park and throughout the city. This park is a testament to the teamwork and vision throughout all layers of government and the commissioner’s commitment to Camden.” — Camden County Commissioner Jeffery Nash
Making fitness a family endeavor
On July 30, 2022, over thirty city families joined Camden Community Partnership and the Horizon Foundation of NJ for Family Fun and Fitness Day with Joetta Clark Diggs — a 4 time Olympian and NJ native who showed participants how a focus on fitness and personal health makes them the champions of their own lives.
Guests registered together as a family to complete fitness challenges presented by Camden Community Partnership, CAMCare, The Kroc Center, Camden County Metro Police Department, American Water, the Camden City School District and JoTyme Fitness. In between workouts, guests enjoyed fresh food, face painting, access to free Covid vaccines, health screenings, and more family fun, including a special performance by the Camden High School cheerleaders. Ten big winners went home with bikes, scooters, helmets and “Camden” backpacks provided by The Camden Store that were full of fun Camden swag.
The big top draws thousands to the waterfront
The Trenton Circus Squad (TCS) returned to Camden in 2022 for the 4th time in 5 years to present the “greatest show in town,” under a brand new purple and gold big top tent on the Camden Waterfront. With support from Camden County, Camden Community Partnership presented 2 weeks of free shows and workshops by TCS, ultimately engaging 3,000 Camden residents in the exacting and exciting circus arts. Performances began during Camden County’s 4th of July Freedom Festival and continued into the week that followed. Audiences laughed, gasped and cheered as teen acrobats showcased their aerial, juggling, clowning and balancing skills before adoring fans. The squad was accompanied by Camden’s Own “Trumpet Chics” jazz ensemble whose upbeat musicianship kept crowds tapping and clapping along as TCS youth created circus magic for Camden residents once again.
Reimagining the Civic Commons is a collaboration of The JPB Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and local partners. In addition, Camden’s participation is supported by Subaru of America Foundation and William Penn Foundation.
