History
Asbury Park is a coastal community of approximately 20,000 residents located in
central New Jersey. The City has a long history as a preeminent waterfront
setting to live and recreate with resources that include nearly one mile of
beachfront, a charismatic downtown, and a diverse local constituency.
As with the majority of coastal cities, Asbury Park has faced significant
economic, social, and environmental challenges over the past century.
The local citizens and elected officials have consistently taken these
challenges head-on by creating a balanced long-term vision for the
development of the waterfront, downtown, and residential communities.
The current wave of revitalization in Asbury Park is occurring at a brisk pace.
Private developers have already purchased a significant amount of beachfront
property and 3,100 housing units of housing, half-a-million square feet of
retail space, and $40 million in infrastructure are planned for the near
future. At the same time local government has repeatedly stated that this
effort is critical to ensuring the welfare of all local residents in the long-term:
“All of New Jersey knows of our goal to revitalize the one-mile beachfront while
simultaneously revitalizing the total community. Let it be known that our efforts
are to fully ensure the benefits of revitalization to all city citizens.
We have emphasized diversity in planning for the citizens -- in a very diverse city.
Diversity is something this city is justifiably proud of.” Mayor Kevin G. Sanders
The goals of local government and private developers are similar – to achieve
urban revitalization within Asbury Park – however the driving forces
(i.e. meeting profit margins, staying within budgets/timetables; satisfying
the needs of local constituents, caring for the financial future of the City)
are considerably different and sometimes conflicting. One concern is that the
current agenda to develop coastal resources may lack adequate input from
underserved populations in Asbury Park and thus social and economic benefits
may not be accrued by this group.
CMRC Involvement
CMRC and the Surfrider Foundation have been working with support from the
Ford Foundation to develop a plan that creates a strategic framework for
addressing the economic, social, and environmental challenges inherent in
the revitalization of Asbury Park, NJ. Specifically, the CMRC is assisting
on the socio-economic analysis and environmental policy research in an
effort to seek solutions to the challenges facing this dynamic coastal community.
These solutions will include short-term means for allowing the New Jersey
Chapter to work with local constituents to develop recreation-based programs;
and long-term policy solutions to ensure that underserved population benefit
from the economic and environmental revitalization of the City.
The Surfrider Foundation's New Jersey Chapter has already established a
significant presence in the area, running environmental, recreational,
and community-based programs that assist in guaranteeing that underserved
populations benefit from the great natural and economic resources that are
a part of Asbury Parks past, present and future.
For more information about the CMRC’s work in Asbury Park please
contact us at the contact form.
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