Zoning issues were briefly touched upon, but the bulk of the matter related more to real estate development.
Much can be deduced from the meeting’s subtext. For example, it was clear that the disposition process requires public review to prevent conflicts of interest and other ethical or legal problems, offering members of the community—taxpayers—the potential to influence how land is developed in their area. However, it was also clear that the individual members of the public have little actual power. During the meeting, the councilmembers mentioned the formal methods by which citizens can lodge complaints, and this process may be daunting to many individuals without… Continue Reading...
homogenization (Slater 2004). If the end result of artists' role in impoverished communities is corporate real estate development, then artists themselves cannot be blamed. Their transformative role should not be underestimated or devalued, presumed to be somehow thematically linked with corporate brands of gentrification. As Marukusen (2006) puts it, "artists as a group make important, positive contributions to the diversity and vitality of cities, and their agendas cannot be conflated with neoliberal urban political regimes," (1921). Artist-driven gentrification is not the same thing as the corporate takeover and infiltration of working class, poor, or bohemian communities. If corporate interests to eventually encroach on working class… Continue Reading...
pet projects -- usually large scale construction and real estate development (93). "Less than five percent of the $175 million recovery package was spent addressing the most pressing concerns of the city -- crime, schools, job training, and municipal service," (93). As a result, Camden is like a war zone, its citizens turning against each other, powerless to fight for their constitutional rights because every element of the city's legislative and justice systems are in the Norcross/Christie pocketbooks. The result is a systematically and deliberately segregated urban geography.
Within the segregated urban space of South Jersey, Camden is… Continue Reading...
on the city council, and still retained strong connections with the local community. Because the company was a real estate development company, the organization's leadership came under considerable pressure for what appeared to be a conflict of interest and corruption -- using the former councilman's political ties for facilitating development projects and accepting additional advice and contracts.
When the media broke the story, the organization had to contend with the additional public relations storm. The public relations department was unhappy about the situation and asked that senior management consider severing ties with the board member. Some members of senior management agreed with the public relations department head, but… Continue Reading...
