Youth Engagement

Story Bus Events As part of our community engagement efforts, we connected with the Newest Americans, a local multimedia collective, to utilize their Newark Story Bus. The bus, created to collect the rich and diverse stories of Newark, is equipped with a photo studio and an audio booth. We took the vibrant and inviting bus to three youth and family focused events around the City to reach young people where they are. Our goal was to collect thoughts, aspirations, and ideas from young people specifically about the places they care about in their neighborhoods, and what changes and/or improvements they would like to see in the next 10 years. The Story Bus team interviewed and photographed 32 dynamic young people and received some insightful feedback that will help inform the future of Newark. 34 youth interviewed

I'm thankful for people getting along now because you can see Newark is getting better. It's getting a lot better than before. (Jaylin Freeman, 18 years old) Most people don't really have a yard to go outside and play. I want to see more trees, less gates. Some nicer buildings, and not all the services that are the same that make the city boring. (Sophia Watson, 11 years old) Something I don't think outsiders see is there's a lot of opportunity here. There's different types of people, different cultures. It's a lot more than people see, more under the surface. (Alyssa Laurore, 15 years old)DRAFT

Layla Abdallah, 22 Sophia Watson, 11 Zayona Terry Keith Moss, 24 ihsann Williams, 18

DRAFT

image: Bloomberg Associates

Ashley Mendoza, 22 Makhi Cartor, 17 Sean Johnson, 25 Egypt Johnson, 13 Payton Celi

Story Bus Excerpts

Layla Abdullah, 22 A lot of people who aren't from Newark or who have never visited Newark, have this perception that the city is a place of violence. The city is a scary place. It's a go-inside-when-the-street-lights-comeon place. But in reality, I feel like they don't know the art scene of the city. They don't know the true meaning behind what the city is trying to move forward and progress to do. And I believe that in reality, if someone from outside the city were to come visit the city, they would have that perception flipped completely upside down and they would see this amazing new place of rejuvenation and

rebuilding.

Ana Monteiro, 21 One of the things I strongly dislike about Newark is the lack of green spaces. And also like we are in a sacrifice zone. So the fact that our air is polluted, that there's been lead in our water and we've definitely been neglected to certain extents. I just feel like certain areas in Newark more care is given depending on how, like, wealthy people are. And that's not how it should be in my view. So I think like the streets need to be taken care of, potholes need to be fixed. You need to make spaces beautiful. Not for people coming in and like buying and like going to rent crazy luxury apartments, but you need to

make spaces beautiful for people who already live there, as well as for people who have been

there for generations and who deserve the space to look nice and clean for themselves. Brionna Freeman, 22 There's a whole lot of kids now. So sometimes we'll see the little itty bitties walking around, going to the car. It's like, wow, things are really changing, but I'm glad that they're able to experience being able to play with each other because that's all we had growing up, too. I really do think the city just needs to focus on keeping their citizens or residents happy

because there's a big shift that's happening and a lot of us can feel it. We feel pushed out and it's upsetting because you grew up here so long expecting to buy a house here, expecting to buy a car here, expecting to live here. But knowing that these upcoming changes are not technically meant for us is like, mind blowing, because why would you want to push your residents out? Kaylin Laurore, 16 I would say that I'm most proud of the love that people have for each other in my neighborhood. There could be more of it. There’s always room for improvement, but I see how people are trying to change. And I think people are starting to wake up and see that we need each other in order to be successful and for Newark to rise and be what I feel like it's supposed to be. I feel like Newark is supposed to be huge, big people should want to, you know, travel to come and be here. Trinity Corney, 21 I have cerebral palsy it affects just my lower extremities and just makes my overall body tight. Growing up, I was always driven around, cause my DRAFT mom signed me up for that program where you get picked up in the medical van, they take you to school or wherever you need to be dropped off. It's all through Newark. They have programs for kids that have disabilities they take you from your school to your house, wherever you need to be. There has to be more awareness around different physical types of disability and not just having the minimum. It's not just about having automatic doors or that push button; there's more that needs to be done.

Story Bus Participants

Paige Celi, 9

Brionna Freeman, 22

Nymirah Brown, 12 Nazir Fisher, 15 Solomon Laurore, 9 Yazania Davis Ana Monteiro, 21

Sean Williams, 13 Noel Camacho, 21

Javon Swain, 15 Zy'Quajah Lucas, 13 Madison GordonMakayla Freeman Genesis Fawcett, 11 Jaylin Freeman, 18 DRAFT Kaylin Laurore, 16

Alyssa Laurore, 15

Ava Miranda, 14

Jeffrey Lantigua, 18 Trinity Corney Omar Tito Tevon Thomas Jeffrey Queen, 20 Johana Herrera, 18

City Planning Institute Over 5 weeks during the Summer of 2021, the Center CPI definition of Culture: Culture is the arts for Community Planning's City Planning Institute and other manifestations of human intellectual engaged a team of students between 14 and 17 years achievement regarded collectively or the customs, old in mapping Newark’s cultural and community arts, social institutions, and achievements of a assets. The first step was defining what culture and particular nation, people or other social group. cultural assets meant to them, and then researching each neighborhood. They also conducted field work to identify Art and Cultural spaces, as well as mapping them all by type. The places and assets identified in this Master Plan build on the work of these students. CPI definition of Cultural Assets: A cultural asset is something that has value because of its contribution to a community's creativity, knowledge, traditions, culture, meaning, and vitality. ... They can be tangible assets such as cultural facilities, specific buildings, or physical works of art.

24 students engagedDRAFT

image: City Planning Institute

Participants:

● Deborah Schulze, Instructor

● Owusu Kwaku ● Sajada Green

● Persiah Cooper ● Samiya Hill

● Zyon Williams

● Jordan Swan ● Hassan Tyler ● Bakari Rashidi

Newark Cultural Assets: Student suggestions for improvement: ● Museum ● Encourage cultural diversity by flying cultural flags throughout the city. ● Restaurants ● Offer incentives for residents if they were willing to ● Music stores decorate homes with bright colors. ● Churches / Houses of ● Turn empty lots into gardens and performance worship spaces. ● Theaters / Theater ● Paint all abandoned properties with bright, groups encouraging or special paintings/ drawings. ● Public art - murals/ ● Spray paint sidewalks and/or sewage portals. statues ● Have schools paint their outside walls. ● Community based organizations ● Paint store’s metal front grates in culturally significant ways. ● Public gathering spaces ● Encourage public art displays. ● Create a self-reporting app so people can share more public art with the city.

● Toyeebat Ojifinni ● Jesse Nwadiozor ● Daniel Musa ● Xavier Hayes ● Gloria Talbert ● Parks and recreation spaces ● Culturally based community groups ● Clothing stores ● Cultural stores (hair salons, etc) ● Festivals ● Parades ● Cultural stories ● Languages being spoken

● Olivia Chima ● Zair Conway ● Melanie Cano ● Kaniya Henry ● Vincent Vicuna

● Joseph Rivera ● Miguel Concepcion ● Similoluwa Falayi ● Husain Tyler ● Amir Hayes DRAFT ● Community gardens

image: City Planning Institute image: City Planning Institute

DRAFT

Newark Tomorrow 04 What can Newark become in ten years? Newarkers envision a healthier, more equitable and more resilient city where the next generation of Newarkers will take pride in their beautiful neighborhoods, affordable homes, verdant parks, and walkable streets, and can participate fully in the city’s economy. In ten years, Newark will be an even greater city of DRAFT prosperity, a city of culture, a city of neighborhoods, a city of families, and a city of strength.