New Jersey Institute of Technology
IN-49: Innovation C

The Center of Community Systems focuses on social equity and sustainability in many projects. Some projects the Center for Community Systems has worked on are:

STRATEGIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

Designed and conducted the “Roadmap to Mill Redevelopment” webinar series (New England)
Designed and conducted “Brownfields Blueprint Learning Labs” (NJ)
Designed and conducted the “Brownfields for Bankers” seminar series (VT, AL)
Designed and conducted “Vacancy to Vibrancy Brownfield Redevelopment Bootcamp” (MD)
Designed and conducted Transit Oriented Development Community Workshops (NJ)
Provided facilitation Services for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s 2018 Coastal Resilience Summit
Designed and conducted “Brownfields and Creative Placemaking Bootcamp” (PA, NH)
Provided planning and coordination services for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Northeast Sustainable Communities Workshop, the Brownfields Coalition for the Northeast’s premier conference
Designed and conducted “Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Environmental Justice Communication Workshop”

COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROJECTS

Newark Airport City (NJ): Designed and coordinated a multidisciplinary, multi-organization effort to leverage Newark Liberty International Airport and a proposed transit station in catalyzing economic development and social equity in the city’s South Ward.
Reimaging the WW Cross Site (NH): Designed and conducted a community-visioning workshop for the redevelopment of a former industrial site.
North Kensington Area Wide Plan (PA): Developed a framework for a neighborhood revitalization plan.
Maine Leathers Site (ME): Designed and conducted a community-visioning workshop for the redevelopment of a former tannery site that included short, intermediate, and long-term site reuses.
Second Avenue Revitalization Plan (PA). Created a revitalization plan through a community engagement process focused on Second Avenue's vision plan. Conducted a listening tour (interviews) and site assessment and provided a conditions assessment report informing the community’s vision, goals, and strategies.

GUIDING DOCUMENTS

Created the “Green Stormwater Infrastructure Decision Tree” for the City of Philadelphia (PA)
Created the NJEDA Brownfields Loan Program User’s Manual (NJ)
Created a series of info-graphics that explain the New Jersey regulatory process of identifying, assessing, and cleaning up contaminated properties.
Created “Tools and Guidance for Implementing Infill Development on Brownfield Sites in Rural Areas and Small Towns”
Created “Guiding States and Brownfield Projects through the PCB Rules under TSCA”, a five-pamphlet series that explains in layman’s terms the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) process relevant to brownfield remediation and redevelopment projects.

Visit the link provided to get more details on each of these projects.
https://research.njit.edu/communitysystems/

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The mission of the Center for Community Systems is to be a resource and conduit for creating thriving, sustainable, and resilient communities. It is a strategic platform that connects innovative planners, engineers, environmental scientists, social scientists, architects, and economists with government, industry, and community organizations to solve complex problems.

Communities exist within the context of varying and ever-evolving social, economic, political, and cultural conditions. They experience pressures from increasing/ decreasing populations, the advanced age of existing infrastructure, fiscal constraints, climate change, contaminated lands, and natural and human-made disasters, all threatening societal lifelines and the ability to function well. These complexities and constraints may hinder a community’s ability to grow and prosper sustainably and resiliently.

The Center for Community Systems engages in cross-disciplinary, cross-university collaborations designed to stimulate intellectual curiosity and foster innovative solutions to communities' challenges.

The Center for Community Systems designs develops and deploys technical assistance, tools, resources, and educational and engagement programs to communities in an effort to improve environmental conditions, spur economic development, and advance social equity.