Cooper Street and adjacent blocks in Camden, New Jersey, are a setting for learning about how cities grow and change--and for discovering how individual decision-making affects the vitality and sustainability of urban neighborhoods.

Research into the social history of Cooper Street and its vicinity is creating new knowledge about Camden, New Jersey, residents during the city’s period of greatest growth and later transitions. Rutgers-Camden students contributing to this project gain research and writing skills and insight into urban history, historic preservation, and historical interpretation. As we learn, we strive to call attention to Cooper Street as an asset for the campus and surrounding communities.

During 2021, this project expanded to include adjacent blocks of the Rutgers-Camden campus. Our research documents the neighborhood that existed prior to urban renewal in the 1960s to create the campus.