More recently, Jersey City was known for rampant crime and a decaying waterfront. But 30 years ago, New Jersey decided to turn 1,200 of the city s waterfront acres into a park. Though progress has been slow, Jersey City s Liberty State Park is taking shape. It also has a playground, a bike path, a wildflower meadow, a wildlife habitat and a picnic area. In the 24 years since Baltimore decided to put a park on waterfront land left behind when the shipping industry decided to relocate, its famed Inner Harbor development has thrived.
Most people don t realize that the original plan only mentioned an aquarium.
But, two years after the land was acquired, a debate erupted over a request from Washington, D.C., real estate developer James Rouse to build two pavilions of shops and restaurants on the site. Rouse s Harborplace opened in 1980 and the National Aquarium the following year. Ever since, both have attracted millions of visitors and spurred further development. The Inner Harbor enjoys a geographic advantage, said city architect Bob Quilter, because its waterfront curves around a bay and has three sides. You can walk from one side to the other in five minutes.