Throughout its existence, the Department has enjoyed a high level of public visibility. Faculty members have long been considered experts in their respective fields and enjoy a close rapport with the local media outlets, appearing frequently in various print media such as the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as on public radio and television. 

The Department has worked to bring students into regular contact with State and Regional elected officials such as former Governors Florio and Byrne, as well as members of the state and congressional delegations. Appointed officials are also regular visitors to the Department, such as John Higgins, President of the Architectural Foundation, Edina Abromovitz of the Camden Business Assistance Corporation, Bill Spearman of the Cooper Ferry Development Corporation and Fred Manning of the Community Affairs Division of The Federal Reserve Bank. 

Many faculty from international schools of urban planning and design have also visited the Department, among them were Professor Leonid Rapoutov of the Moscow Architectural Institute, and Professor Stephen Ward of Oxford Brookes University.

Members of the Department have often participated in important community service ventures based on the Camden campus. For instance, Professor Lang was for several years the Director of the Forum for Public Policy and Public Service. In this capacity, he secured funding for applied policy research in such areas as compulsive gambling, homelessness, and emergency medical response planning. Professor Van Til also served a term as director of this important unit of our campus. 

Another notable project [1999-2000] has focused on the Fettersville section of Camden. Students working with Professors Lang and Thompson have provided substantial research and administrative support to a new venture called the Fettersville Collaborative. This grass roots church based organization was established by area residents in order to focus attention on this historic African American community with the aim of energizing local residents to become directly involved in preserving the remaining buildings. Professor Jon Van Til works with students each year who do studies of leadership and participation in Camden communities.  In 1999, for example he and his students studied the Fettersville and Fairview neighborhoods. The paper was presented by two of the student authors and Professor Van Til at the ARNOVA conference in November, 2000 in New Orleans, and is titled "Associations as Assets in The Urban Community: A Study of Two Inner-City  Neighborhoods in Camden."  The paper is co-authored with five Rutgers undergraduates: Leroy Gould, Meghan Murtha, Suzanne Brennan, Twana Cisse, and
Claude Wallace. To see this paper click HERE.

Yet another notable project [1998-1999] took place in South Camden, an area under threat from a proposed industrial park. Urban studies students from the planning studio course began to work with area residents. Their research led to the discovery of an unmapped creek that had been filled in. This creek has now been placed on the city maps and has become the focal point for neighborhood revitalization efforts aimed at securing funding in order to restore it and reclaim its surrounding lands for a public greenway. 

Departmental students and faculty participated actively in the production of the North Camden Plan in 1993. The community produced this plan which won an award from the American Planning Association with assistance from urban studies students working with part-time lecturer Thomas Knoche and Professor Lang. This plan was later approved by Camden City Council, is now considered the model for neighborhood development planning and has been incorporated into the new Comprehensive Plan [2000] for the City of Camden. 

Since 1998 the Department has hosted a major Ford Foundation study of Fragile Families in the urban context, under the direction of Dr. Hillard Pouncy, Senior Research Fellow in the Department. The Fragil Families Initiative has as a primary goal the advancement of public understanding of the importance of assisting young men and women of minority and povery backgrounds to care responsibly for such children as they may bring into the world. The Ford Foundation has indicated its willingness to extend this research through the Year 2002, and a book to be co-authored by Dr. Pouncy will be supported by the Century Fund. Click HERE to read more about the Fragil Families initiative.

For the past several years, the Department has participated in the Housing Scholars Program sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. This is a program of paid internships. Through a matching process, this program places exemplary students with neighborhood based organizations in Camden.

Finally, staff and planning students have participated in a one of the most significant community planning efforts in the city’s recent history. Called the Camden Greenways Plan, this plan has been adopted by city council. This important project is aimed at creating a comprehensive system of public greenways along the City’s extensive waterfronts.