It was recently reported that car maker Subaru of America will be moving its national headquarters to Camden, New Jersey, bringing along 500 of its employees who currently work in Cherry Hill and Pennsauken, NJ. The company has also pledged to add 100 new jobs to the new headquarters in the next two years. Subaru will become the anchor tenant of a vast tract of land known as the “Gateway Office Park” owned by Campbell’s Soup, which is based adjacent to the site.

With such significant new development in this section of the city, it is imperative that the City of Camden continues to work with developer Brandywine Realty Trust, and with Subaru and Campbell’s, to promote access to nearby transit and active transportation amenities. The development site is just over half a mile from the Walter Rand Transportation Center, which houses the Broadway PATCO High Speed Line station, NJ Transit RiverLINE and 25 NJ Transit bus lines – not to mention the planned Glassboro-Camden light rail and South Jersey Bus Rapid Transit lines. The new offices will also be adjacent to existing and planned Circuit walking and biking trails. By using transit and trails, employees can quickly and easily travel to and from downtown Camden, Philadelphia, Trenton and the surrounding South Jersey suburbs.

The development is also adjacent to two major highways, so it will be essential for the site and surrounding area to be designed in a way that promotes transit usage and active transportation. In order for this to be successful, the following must occur:

• Developer Brandywine, Campbell’s Soup, Subaru and the City of Camden must work with representatives from the Circuit regional trail network to ensure that easements for future trails in and around the Gateway site are granted;
• The City and employers in the Gateway District should promote walking and bicycling in the area as a means of transportation by providing employees with information about existing and planned future trails, sidewalks and bike lanes that connect the area to public transportation;
• Subaru should partner with Campbell’s Soup and share its existing shuttle bus service to and from the Broadway PATCO station;
• Subaru may be a car company, but in order to encourage transit usage and walkability, large surface parking lots should not be part of the development;
• All partners should work to encourage the development of residential and commercial real estate to make the Gateway area a 24/7 neighborhood.

There is good reason for hope. In 2013, developer Brandywine Realty Trust sent a letter to the City of Philadelphia stating its support for continued funding of the Circuit trail network. The letter states: “When fully complete, the Circuit will help connect people to jobs, recreational opportunities, public transportation and other neighborhoods, and will serve as a gateway to open green space.” An article in PlanPhilly also noted that ten years ago a majority of Brandywine’s properties were in suburban New Jersey and Pennsylvania, whereas now a majority are in urban centers or places with access to multi-modal transportation. Campbell’s Soup also launched a ten-year program in 2011 with the goal of reducing childhood obesity in Camden by fifty percent, partially through promoting walking and other physical activity.

The news of Subaru moving to Camden comes on the heels of news that Cooper University Hospital will also be moving additional jobs to the City, while market rate housing will be built across from the Cooper Medical School. While much of the news surrounding these developments has focused on the merits of using tax subsidies to bring these projects to Camden, there is no doubt that there is an opportunity to further encourage active transportation and transit usage. By promoting these modes of transportation, employees and residents can get exercise on their daily commutes and Camden can continue its push toward increasing the safety of walking and biking and serving its large car-free population.