Rutgers-Camden PhD Candidate Rasheda Weaver’s latest includes an invitation to an April 19th conference on Economic Development:

5 Strengths of the City Invincible

If you look at the south section of the Camden City Hall building you will see an engraving that states “In a dream I saw a city invincible”. The words were taken from Walt Whitman’s poem “I Dream’d in a Dream” and are the motto of Camden many people have come to know. Every now and then I walk by city hall just to see these inspirational words to remind myself of how great I believe this city can be. The words are a reflection of what I view as one of Camden’s key strengths – its history. Before moving here, I recognized that Camden’s history, like many of its strengths, are not talked about enough.

Common to Camden, and other distressed cities, is a tendency to focus on its weaknesses. While this usually stems from desire to overcome them, University of Scranton Associate Professor Meghan Ashlin Rich suggests small cities like Camden should focus on their strengths. Doing so may enable cities to build upon their existing strengths in addition to trying to overcome their weaknesses. This inspired me to dedicate this post to highlighting the following five key attributes of Camden that I view as some of its strengths.

History

Camden’s history is one of the first things that captured my interest as a student. Prior to being accepted to Rutgers University –Camden Public Affairs program, pretty much the only thing I knew about Camden is what I saw in this Brian Williams’ interview.  However, the city is so much more than what is depicted in popular media features of it. Camden was once called the “the biggest little city in the world” because it was a hub of innovation and opportunity that birthed renown companies like Campbell Soup and RCA Victor and became a muse of prominent poet Walt Whitman.

Architecture and the Arts

I am always captivated by the beauty of homes in neighborhoods like Cooper Grant, Cooper Plaza, and Parkside. Homes of their architectural style and space would cost 3 or 4 times as a much in a city like Philadelphia than they do here in Camden. In addition, Camden has a budding arts scene that grants an intimate and unique take on art in the city. The Third Thursday Art Crawl, Connect the Lots art installations, and the Stedman Gallery are among my favorite art activities to engage in throughout the city.

Location

As discussed in a previous post, Camden’s geographical location makes it easily accessible to various cities and towns. Being a born and raised New Yorker, I appreciate the urban city feel of Camden. I like living in walking distance to universities, hospitals, parks, and stores, However, I also enjoy going to the beach, hiking, and exploring artsy towns. Camden’s location places me in proximity to towns Cape May, New Jersey and New Hope, Pennsylvania where I can take day trips to enjoy such activities.

The Waterfront

Walking along on the waterfront promenade and then over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is a favorite activity of many residents, including myself. Camden’s waterfront is home to regional attractions like the Camden Children’s Garden, Adventure Aquarium, and Battleship New Jersey. In the summer residents and local groups often have workout sessions on the promenade to enjoy the gorgeous view of Philadelphia while exercising.

Sense of Community

My absolute favorite aspect of Camden is its strong sense of community. Before moving to the city, I remember walking through my current neighborhood where I saw neighbors talking and laughing together on their porches. It seemed like such a close-knit and happy place to be. As a new resident, I’m glad to feel that closeness and supportiveness from my neighbors. It is my favorite part about living in the city. In addition, social initiatives like Dine Around Fridays and the Camden Social Network have created spaces for young professionals and new residents to connect throughout the city. These initiatives have facilitated my understanding of different restaurants and venues throughout Camden, while simultaneously enabling me to meet native and new residents.

In conclusion, I hope you will share your opinions on the strengths of Camden in the comments section. For those of you who would like to discuss them in person, I encourage you to attend the Rutgers University-Camden graduate student conference entitled “State and Local Economic Development Policy: What Works for Distressed U.S. Cities?” on Tuesday April 19^th at The Neighborhood Center located at 278 Kaighn Avenue in Camden. Shuttle buses will run to the venue from the Business and Sciences Building every 15 minutes.

Dr. Meghan Ashlin Rich, PhD is the keynote speaker and will discuss how small cities can tailor revitalizations efforts to their strengths. Her keynote speech will take place from 12-1:15p.m. The entire conference is from 9a.m. – 4p.m. The flyer is provided below.