Florida Atlantic University (FAU) professors and students in Urban and Regional Planning and Architecture have participated in efforts that focus on the restoration of North Fork of the New River, and its neighboring community.  Their revitalization efforts attempt to address physical and socioeconomic issues, such as pollution, public awareness, and community participation. 

Part of the pollution problems of the river are the amount of debris that its waters receive.  For years, the waterway has been the receptacle of careless people that dumped appliances, furniture, tires, and other objects to the river.  In addition, storm water runoff has been a steady provider for trash and debris to the waterway.  During a five-week period in April and May of 2000, 1,900 bags of garbage were removed from the North Fork of the New River, which became the first waterway adopted under Broward County’s Adopt-a-Waterway program.  Volunteers from the Wild life Research Team, and students from Florida Atlantic University, became a strong volunteer base for the about monthly waterway clean-ups. 

Marci Monchek, who at that moment was a planning student, and counted with the support of faculty members like Dr. Jaap Vos, initiated what today is known as the Florida Atlantic Planning Society (FAPS) Waterway Cleanup. 

The Florida Atlantic Planning Society, which is committed to promoting excellence in planning education, training and practice; to fostering the appreciation of issues that are contained within the planning profession and related disciplines; and to organizing urban and regional planning students to combine their efforts to advance the art and science of urban planning, made the Waterway Cleanup one of its most important activities.  It certainly was a hand on work opportunity for university students with a perfect match with its mission.  As the years have passed, this activity has provided undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and other university members with opportunities that support professional growth, such as:

• Witnessing how a combination of public, private, not-for-profit, and grassroots, stakeholders focus part, or all of their efforts on the protection of the natural resources of the New River system
• Having a glimpse of the South Florida region natural environment beauty, and fragility
• Understanding the significance of building capacity in order to promote a well sound economic revitalization process for the North Fork of the New River
• Getting to know one of few communities on the region to have a well-defined historic and cultural background
• Being exposed to a variety of environmental, political, economical, and social issues that affect the river surrounding communities
• Observing environmental threats such as invasive plants, flood control structures that hinder fresh water influx, stormwater runoff, and water quality issues
• And, understanding redevelopment factors that can lead to gentrification

As the years have passed FAPS waterway cleanup has become a partner with other organizations, such as the Wildlife Research Team, South Florida Water Management District, Broward County Environmental Protection Department, Broward Urban River Trails, and Kids Ecology Corps, which are working very hard on  pollution reduction in the river. 

The North Fork of the New river community is unique because of its relation to the river and its well-defined cultural background.  Public awareness, and community participation, have been identified as one of the key points to achieve a proper formulation of a vision for both the North Fork of the New river’s and the resident’s future.  To do so, FAU’S faculty members have joined forces with other organizations to work towards increasing community participation, and to document the history of the community. 

In 2001, a grant proposal to document “the environmental history” of the North Fork of the New river was submitted.  As explained by Vos (2002), the team that was awarded the grant consisted of FAU professors in architecture, and planning, a freelance journalist with extensive experience in the African American community in Broward County, a resident writer fro Florida University (who had written several books about growing up as an African American woman in South Florida), and Earthwise Productions, a minority environmental organization (Vos, 2002.)  Works (2002) defined the project as follow:

The nature and scope of this project is 1) to survey the collection of the recorded history –both natural and cultural 2) to bring to the surface the as yet untold story of early life on the North Fork 3) to highlight and foster interrelationship of the North Fork into the overall story of the New River (Work, 2002. pp. 5). 

The project is already finished.  Vos (2002) states that it established a trusting relationship between residents and planners and showed that they can work together toward a common goal.  What is needed is a shared vision for the future of the area that can promote redevelopment without the displacement of current residents (Vos, 2002.)  

Highlights

• In the spring of 2006, the waterway cleanup activity celebrated its fifth year anniversary
• The almost monthly event is increasing its volunteer base, including young people from the community
• More than ever organizations that are  working on the river are communicating, and working together
• MyNorthFork.org, which focus on building capacity on the community is been implemented

To find out more information on the FAPS waterways cleanups, click here.

Reference:
Vos, J.  (2002). Segregation, Restoration + Gentrification on The North Fork: Can Participation Prevent Another Injustice? Projections 3 Planning for Environmental Justice.  The MIT Journal of Planning.  
Work, D. (2002) New River Cultural and Environmental Survey.