Last summer, the second segment of Newark’s Riverfront Park opened to the public. Transforming deindustrialized, often polluted waterfronts into public space is a common strategy in contemporary urban revitalization, worldwide. But rarely has this tactic reflected such a long history of community-based activism for environmental justice and public access to the river. 17 miles of Newark’s river, the Passaic, was declared the nation’s longest Superfund site in 1983, amidst intensifying, largely unrealized plans for corporate development downtown that offered little to address issues of open space equity or environmental health for the residents of nearby neighborhoods.

The sections of Riverfront Park that are already open abut the Ironbound neighborhood, and the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) has been a key collaborator in making the park happen. According to Nancy Zak, a community organizer with the ICC, the area’s tradition of open space advocacy springs from a legacy of activism around social services, public health, and toxic waste clean-up. She is quick to remind that, in light of the park’s success, there is more work that needs to be done to ensure the tenure of residents in public and affordable housing adjacent to the new park. And though the ICC’s local constituents benefit from the park on a daily basis, she considers Riverfront Park “an asset for the whole city.” Riverfront Program Coordinator and Newark native Chris Caceres, responsible for live park programs from gospel festivals to Zumba classes, agrees, remarking that “for decades, Newark had its back towards the river; now, it’s turning around.”

Ensuring that Riverfront Park would be exactly that — a citywide resource enjoyed by everyone from throughout the city and county — was an important goal for Damon Rich, Newark’s Planning Director and Chief Urban Designer. In the conversation below, Rich shares some of the story of how these struggles have informed the design, planning, and programming of Riverfront Park. In so doing, he reflects on a career spent using art and design to create awareness about urban processes, injustices, social resources, and opportunities for participation. — C.S.