Different ways of looking at Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a really special part of the New Jersey landscape. It is historic, it is urban, it has some well kept secrets, it is a place of great demographic richness, but it also experiences many conflicts that are quintessential for understanding the Garden State. I've been fortunate enough to learn a little more about Elizabeth over the last few years, so I found these two different items to be very interesting.

A fairly upbeat example was in the Star-Ledger which reported on some Elizabeth HS students who made a video about the FAA's changing policies regarding airport noise around Newark airport. It is a great example of how younger people can see old problems in new ways. It also a great example of how a small non-profit, like Future City, can spark a larger conversation.

Michelle Doran McBean, CEO of the Elizabeth-based nonprofit Future City Inc., provided equip ment and guidance for the film and saw the girls' enthusiasm build firsthand. She now hopes the film can spread their passion.

"I think there are many other young people just like the three of them who would be equally interested and engaged if provided with the opportunity and support," said McBean, whose organization has an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of air pollution and other environmental issues in the Newark/Elizabeth "aerotropolis."

"Hopefully, they can serve as a nexus to bring people together on this issue," she said.

Here is a less positive example. Someone has mapped out some of the larger public housing projects in Elizabeth complete with photos. Some of the photos look clearly out of date (and the website admits enough if you dig a little) but it is an interesting example of how one person can assemble information in a way that seems definitive to the casual viewer. As part of a larger website called Urban Decay, these photos could easily be construed as having a specific message about life in Elizabeth, but the website seems underdeveloped in a way that makes it hard to derive any singular message.

Historic Tunnel in Elizabeth

The Elizabeth Historic Society has found a secret tunnel that they think carries important links to the past. Paul Mattingly reported recently that the tunnel was probably used for smuggling of both goods and people, from the Elizabeth River up to the Belger-Ogden Mansion. While the details are preliminary, it is a pretty exciting find. I can't wait to see it.

PP videos

As citizens try to fight planning decisions and change public perception on environmental issues, they are turning to videos as a tool for education and persuassion.

An interesting example comes from Fort Lauderdale where a major waterfront development is being opposed by a group of citizens who have turned to YouTube to express their concerns.



As a different use of You Tube, I point you towards Future City in Elizabeth (disclosure: I work with them). They have produced some environmentally-focused videos looking at issues facing the Elizabeth River-Arthur Kill Watershed (and all of urban America). They work to advance awareness as a general goal and not directed at a specific conflict on the calendar.



It all feels very David and Goliath. It is hard to be critical of a small group trying to protect their town or environment. So it may be equally hard to suspect or believe that jumpy little videos made by a anti-shopping mall group could really made by a group funded by another developer who is pro-resort hotel. And how do you research these groups to discover their full intent? With a group like Future City in Elizabeth, there is a 10 year history. But when citizens spontaneously respond to a new "threat" there is no history.