Dear Editor:
I hope the city continues its efforts to preserve The Harsimus Cove Embankment along Sixth Street. One of the things that helps make cities great is planning that acknowledges, preserves and fully realizes its extraordinary spaces –and our Embankment is certainly one of these. It’s the kind of space that distinguishes Jersey City from other cities; it’s not a generic plaza at the base of a high rise that, while lovely, feels indistinct from another in Trenton or Buffalo or Kalamazoo. It’s a simple and elegant construct, with a long and complex history that is distinctly Jersey City.
As our city grows and changes, as all cities must, we must insist on preserving its particular character so that we don’t transform it into a bland vanilla landscape devised by outside developers, but instead allow all its most interesting bits to flourish and shine through the sensible preservation of unique assets. It is as important to our city’s sustainable growth as good schools, a reliable and fair tax base, and conscientious, involved citizens. It the kind of thing that makes Jersey City interesting, livable and an appealing place to put down roots.
The Embankment is already a distinctive element of our city’s landscape. With some creative effort, it could be something exceptional. I am grateful for the years of hard work by the volunteers who have kept this important city landmark a priority in the minds of our community, and to the city, which continues to fight to preserve it for our future. Jersey City is worth it.
Tia Biasi