9 minute read
Citywide Survey
510
surveys completed
Citywide Survey Over the spring and summer of 2022, the city hired ETC Institute who administered a statistically valid survey citywide in Newark. Residents were selected at random. The survey was 7 pages long and included scale questions (ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree), multiple options questions (select top 3), straightforward single option questions, and several open ended questions. The survey covered categories of: ● Community Vision ● Achieving the Community Vision ● Safety, Health and Resilience ● Transportation ● Your Neighborhood ● Economic Development and Employment ● Demographics
Who responded? The goal was to complete a minimum of 500 completed surveys from residents. The goal was exceeded with 510 completed surveys collected. The overall results for the sample of 510 households have a precision of at least +/-4.3 at the 95% level of confidence. They represented every neighborhood in every ward. A majority of respondents were long time Newarkers (58% of respondents were over 30 year Newark residents). There was a more even distribution between short-term residents and long -term residents at the neighborhood level – an indication that Newarkers are transient between neighborhoods, but still largely staying with the city. Despite this, survey respondents were evenly distributed along age cohorts (i.e. similar number of Millennials as Baby Boomers). About a third of the respondents identified as Hispanic, and about half of all respondents were Black. Survey respondents were distributed evenly across income bands and closely resemble income levels of Newark households. About 56% of survey respondents were renters (compared to the citywide rental rate of over 70%).DRAFT
Newark360 Master Plan Community Vision Survey
Please take a few minutes to complete this community vision survey. Your input is an important part of the City’s on-going effort to involve the community in long-range planning and decisions.
May 2022
Dear Newark Resident:
The City of Newark, through its Department of Economic and Housing Development, Office of Planning and Zoning Office, is working on the city’s new Master Plan, Newark360: An Equitable Way Forward. Newark360 is a comprehensive planning effort to improve and transform Newark’s physical landscape in a way to enable Newarkers to live fuller, happier, and ultimately longer lives!
Mayor Ras J. Baraka recognizes that as Newark’s population grows and changes in the coming decades, our neighborhoods must proactively meet the needs of all Newarkers. This plan will ensure that all residents—regardless of age, race, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, or zip code—can thrive in their neighborhoods and have access to all the services they need.
As part of Newark360, we’re conducting a survey to understand Newarkers’ vision for their future and establish priorities for how the city will grow and evolve. Your household was selected at random to receive this survey; therefore, we urge your participation in completing the enclosed survey.
This survey will only take about 15 minutes to complete, so responding to each question is important. The time you invest in completing the survey will help the City of Newark’s Office of Planning and Zoning reflect resident-driven priorities.
We are working with ETC Institute (an independent consulting company) to administer this survey. They will compile the data received and provide the results to City of Newark’s Office of Planning and Zoning. Your responses will remain confidential. Please return your completed survey within the next two
weeks in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.
If it is more convenient, you may also complete the survey online at newark360survey.org. If you have any question or comments, feel free to contact Ryan Murray with ETC Institute at (913) 254-4598 or the Newark360 project management team at info@newark360.org. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and feedback.
Sincerely,
Newark360 Master Plan Team
speak up at: newark360.org
Community Vision 1. Community Vision. Please rate your level of agreement with each of the following statements about the future of Newark using a scale of 5 to 1, where 5 means “Strongly Agree,” and 1 means “Strongly Disagree.”
Newark’s future should include...
01. A broad diversity of cultures and populations 02. A celebration of Newark’s arts and culture
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know 5 4 3 2 1 9 5 4 3 2 1 9
03. Additional parks and open space 04. Housing options that are incomes affordable across a range of 5 4 3 2 1 9
5 4 3 2 1 9
05. Affordable commercial and industrial spaces for small businesses to get their start 06. Easily accessible h neighborhood ealth and social services in each 07. Higher quality green and tech sector jobs 08. Improved access to fresh and healthy foods 09. Improved access to regional transportation 10. Improved access to the waterfront 11. Improved air quality and reduced heat island effect 12. Improved emergency response to climate events disasters and 5 4 3 2 1 9
5 4 3 2 1 9
5 4 3 2 1 9 5 4 3 2 1 9 5 4 3 2 1 9 5 4 3 2 1 9 5 4 3 2 1 9
5 4 3 2 1 9
13. Improved parks and open space
5 4 3 2 1 9 14. Improved relationship between government agencies and community members 5 4 3 2 1 9 15. Increased transparency and responsiveness in government 5 4 3 2 1 9 16. Jobs that provide a living wage 5 4 3 2 1 9 17. Less trash and pollution of our river and bay 5 4 3 2 1 9 18. More community centers and recreation centers for all ages 5 4 3 2 1 9 19. Pedestrian and bike cleaner -friendly streets that are greener and 5 4 3 2 1 9 20. Preservation of historic places that are unique to Newark 5 4 3 2 1 9 21. Vibrant and attractive commercial corridors in each neighborhood 5 4 3 2 1 9
2. From the list of statements in Question 1, which THREE of the items do you think should be the
City’s top priorities? [Write in your answers below using the numbers from the list in Question 1.] 1st: ____ 2nd: ____ 3rd: ____
©2022 ETC Institute Page 1
Cover letter and first page of the Survey mailed to representative Newark households
See Appendix V for the full Survey Results
Takeways
Responses from over 500 Newarkers validates the analyses and recommendations of Newark360 – Newarkers speak with one voice when desiring their city to change, and recognize that housing security, access to services, fresh foods, and well-paying jobs, as well as better relationships with the government are key issues to tackle over the next decade in order to achieve the desired change. Despite issues such as housing cost burden, flooding, and mobility challenges, Newarkers still believe in Newark – a majority of households choose to remain in their neighborhoods. Community Vision The Future of Newark. Respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with 21 statements regarding the future of Newark. These were the top three most selected items: 53% more affordable housing options 26% easily accessible health and social services in each neighborhood 36% jobs that provide a living wageDRAFT Achieving the Community Vision
Respondents were asked to rate their level of support for 20 potential actions the city could take to achieve their goals. These actions were selected most frequently:
image: Bloomberg Associates Greater variety of housing options
Homeownership opportunities
Enforce cleanup of contaminated sites 31%
25% 48%
Safety, Health, and Resilience
Respondents were asked to select the three items that would have the greatest impact on their perception of safety in their neighborhood. Respondents most often selected increased police presence (61%), security cameras (41%), and redevelopment of vacant lots/buildings (40%). Respondents were asked to select the three items that would have the greatest impact on their overall health. The most popular selections were reduction in litter, trash, and post-flooding debris (55%), safer, more walkable streets (55%), and availability of fresh foods and vegetables (38%). Respondents were asked to select all the
environmental hazards that have greatly
impacted their quality of life in Newark. Extreme rain/flooding (55%), nearby site contamination (50%), and hazardous air quality days (49%) were of the highest concern to respondents. Respondents were asked to select the methods they thought would be the most successful towards building resiliency in their neighborhood. Respondents thought improving critical infrastructure to reduce outages, access to resources to prepare for extreme weather, and support for organizations that assist hard-to-reach neighbors were the best methods of building resiliency. Transportation
Increased police presence Security cameras Redevelopment of vacant lots/buildings What would be most successful towards building resiliency in your neighborhood? ◌ improving critical infrastructure to reduce outages ◌2 Access to resources to prepare for extreme weather ◌3 Support for organizations that assist hard-to-reach neighbors
What would have the greatest impact on the perception of safety in your neighborhood? 61% 41% 40% reduction in litter, trash, and post-flooding debris 55% 55% safe, more walkable streets What would have the greatest impact on your overall health? 1 DRAFT
55.7% of respondents use NJ transit buses to get to work, school, or take care of important tasks.
1. 55.3% walk.
2. 9.8% bike and 10% use electric scooters.
The majority (61.6%) of NJ Transit bus riders transfer 2 or more times.
90% of respondents were supportive or very supporting of ensuring streets and sidewalks are designed for people of all ages and abilities.
80% of respondents were supportive of expanding public transportation to reach more residents.
90%
supportive of streets and sidewalks for people of all ages and abilities
80%
supportive of expanding public transportation
Your neighborhood
What would be most successful towards building resiliency in your neighborhood?
◌1 Churches or places of worship
Respondents were asked to select all the locations within a 15-minute walk from their home. Churches or places of worship (69%), supermarkets or grocery stores (66%), and schools were the most common locations available via walking to respondents. Economic development and employment Respondents feel technical and jobs skills training (54%) would be most helpful to enhancing their job qualifications. In general, respondents feel Newark needs more skilled/technical jobs and tech/ computer/programming jobs (21%). The city can best improve access to jobs by increasing training and technical programs (34%) and developing neighborhood workforce support centers (31%). Respondents feel financing opportunities (26%), grant programs (23%), and affordable offices and workspaces (20%) would best help support small business owners and those looking to start a business. of respondents feel technical and jobs skills training would be most helpful to enhancing their jobs qualifications 54% of respondents feel the city can best improve access to jobs by increasing training and technical programs 34% When the data was cross-tabulated, responses further validated understanding of issues. ● Newark households close to the median household income ($25K - $45K) are most challenged by issues such as housing cost burden, lack of well-paying jobs and inaccessible parks and rec centers. ● Unsurprisingly, survey respondents who rent felt ◌ Supermarkets or grocery stores ◌ Schools3 26% financing opportunities 20% affordable offices 23% grant programs 2 What would best help support small business owners and those looking to start a business?DRAFT and workspaces more strongly about the need for more housing options affordable across a range of incomes. That said, both owners and renters track closely when desiring mobility, open space, and government Respondents who rent improvements.
Younger Newarkers
● Younger Newarkers (18-34 year olds) felt more strongly about celebrating Newark’s arts and culture scene as well as desiring more parks and open space.
