Green Infrastructure for the City of Newark

With the initial funding from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) of $200,000 for the City of Newark (2009-2011), the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Water Resources Program partnered with the City of Newark and the Greater Newark Conservancy to conduct community-based initiatives that addressed environmental health issues through youth and homeowner education programs, green infrastructure training programs, and the implementation of four (4) green infrastructure practices in the City of Newark. As part of this initial funding, the framework for the City of Newark Green Infrastructure Initiative was created and priority environmental issues were addressed. These environmental issues included efforts to adopt and retrofit vacant properties with green infrastructure practices, reducing nonpoint source water pollution through education programs, and reducing combined sewer overflows and flooding using green infrastructure practices.

The RCE Water Resources team establish partnerships with local organizations that where interested in formalizing a green infrastructure initiative in the City of Newark, and in September 2013, Newark DIG (Doing Infrastructure Green) was formed. The RCE Water Resources Program secured funding from NJDEP in 2013 for an additional $312,518 to work with Newark DIG partners and move forward with environmental justice projects by providing training for youth and adults as well as implementing demonstration green infrastructure practices throughout the City.

This funding will focus on education and training programs in teaching adults and youth the importance of water conservation, water reuse, and managing stormwater runoff in the City of Newark. Green infrastructure practices and stormwater best management practices will be installed to capture, treat, and infiltrate (where possible) stormwater runoff. The goal is that by capturing this runoff, nonpoint source pollution in waterways will be reduced as stormwater is captured, filtered, and infiltrated where possible using green infrastructure tools and techniques.

The following objectives were completed by the project partners in August 2016:

Objective 1: Advancing the future of green infrastructure through community-based outreach, education, and training

• Newark DIG (Doing Infrastructure Green)
• Clinton-Badger Avenue Traffic Triangle Greenstreets Project (pdf)
• Green Infrastructure Overview Training Program May 20, 2016 (pdf)
• Rain Garden Installation and Maintenance Training Program Fall 2015 (pdf)

Objective 2: Implementing green infrastructure at community gardens and urban farms

• Water Conservation: Save Money and Water Workshop (pdf)
• Rainwater Harvesting System Installations
  • Al Maidah Natural Community Garden, 45-49 Lyons Avenue (pdf)
  • Newark Science and Sustainability Community Garden, 483 Washington Street (pdf)
  • Garden of Worker Bees, 179 Broadway (pdf)
  • Down Bottom Farmers’ Market, 12 St. Charles Street (pdf)
  • The People’s Community Garden, 3-5 Fairmount Avenue (pdf)
  • The Heart of Vailsburg Community Garden, 69 Norwood Street (pdf)

Objective 3: Implementing green infrastructure at residential properties

• Stormwater, Combined Sewer Overflows, and Green Infrastructure Brochure
  • Available in English (pdf), Spanish (pdf), and Portuguese (pdf)
• NJTF Treekeepers Workshop
• Build-a-Rain Barrel Workshop (pdf) (93 barrels distributed)

Objective 4: Delivering green infrastructure for schools

• Praxis Studio: Map to Material: Implementing Salvage and Reconstruction: Green Infrastructure and Justice in Newark, NJ (pdf) (delivered January – May 2015)
• Stormwater Management in your Schoolyard Teacher In-Service Program (pdf) (delivered on June 8, 2015)
• Stormwater Management Unit developed in partnership with the Newark Educators Community Charter School (pdf) (delivered October – January 2016)
• Stormwater Management in your Schoolyard – Rain Garden Installation Lesson at Malcolm X Shabazz High School (pdf) (delivered May 16, 2017)

Objective 5: Implementing green infrastructure at parks and schools

• Community Pocket Park, 237-239 1st Street (pdf)
• Malcolm X Shabazz High School, 80 Johnson Avenue (pdf)
• Newark Educators’ Community Charter School, 9-11 Hill Street (pdf)
• Ujimaa Pocket Park and Community Garden, 298-300 Morris Avenue (pdf)
• Vailsburg Park, 112 South Munn Avenue (pdf)
• West Side Park, 600 South 17th Street (pdf)

Project Funding Source:
NJDEP 319(h)