Doctoral student Rasheda L. Weaver’s research project entitled “Survey of Community Attitudes and Utilization of Cooper River Park West” was part of a successful revitalization effort to restore Cooper River Park West, a park closed for over 14 years. Rasheda’s research surveyed over 100 Camden community members on their attitudes towards safety, maintenance, utilization, and desired features regarding Cooper River Park West. Rasheda applied Broken Windows Theory to highlight the importance of park maintenance on safety perceptions. She found that participants who found the park poorly maintained tended to feel the park was unsafe and in need of security. Her research also revealed community members desire features such as security, lighting, biking and walking trails, playgrounds, and picnic tables upon restoration of the park. Results from the survey were used to develop the Cooper River Gateway West Vision Plan and influenced policy decisions to reopen Cooper River Park West next year. Rasheda presented her research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Community Development Graduate Research Forum this week and is working on publishing her work in an academic journal.