Working for Smart Growth:
More Livable Places and Open Spaces

 

State Planning

Where and how we grow is fundamental to New Jersey’s economic prosperity, environmental health and social equity.

In 1986, recognizing the critical role the state must play in directing future growth and aligning resources accordingly, New Jersey adopted the State Planning Act — a groundbreaking effort to coordinate land-use planning among state agencies and different levels of government.  The act mandated the creation of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan (the “State Plan”), as well as the formation of the State Planning Commission and its staff, now housed at the Office of Planning Advocacy in the Department of State.

But 20 years’ experience with state planning has produced mixed results.  The State Plan vision for strong communities and preserved open lands is widely shared and has helped shape development patterns. But, for a variety of reasons, the plan has not been implemented fully by either state agencies or municipalities. In response, in early 2011 the Christie administration began a process that culminated in October 2011 in the release of a proposed a new State Plan update called the State Strategic Plan.

The State Strategic Plan went through a series of public hearings, but was never adopted, leaving New Jersey to be guided by the most recent update of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan, which was adopted in 2001.

 

New Jersey Future Blog
New Jersey Future’s Lame Duck Legislative Priorities for 2023-2024

The Legislature’s “lame-duck” session began in November and will end in early January. This is a time before newly elected legislators take office in January, and is a time of great unpredictability.  This can be an active, albeit brief, window of time when legislators may be willing to hear new policy priorities or advance existing bills in the final weeks of the session. 

The NJ State Development and Redevelopment Plan is Being Updated – Where and How Should New Jersey Grow? Add Your Voice!

The State Planning Commission (SPC) is hosting a series of eight webinars in October to gather input on how to update the New Jersey State Development & Redevelopment Plan. Last adopted in 2001, the State Plan provides a comprehensive framework intended to guide future development, redevelopment, conservation, preservation, and restoration efforts in the state of New Jersey.

Planning for Tomorrow, Not Today

“It doesn’t matter if we make every vehicle electric, and it doesn’t matter if we turn of all power plants; climate change will still get worse,” exclaimed Shawn LaTourette, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), during the 2023 Planning and Redevelopment Conference plenary, The State of Planning and Redevelopment in New Jersey, co-sponsored by New Jersey Future and the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Launching the Next State Plan

The State Plan “is more than a guide for land-use… it’s for public health, transportation, and much more,” stated Michael Kolber, Senior Planner for the City of Trenton, during the 2023 Planning and Redevelopment Conference as a panelist on the roundtable session Launching the Next State Plan, sponsored by New Jersey Future and the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Continuing Implications of Broadband Inequity

As we move closer to a full recovery with the rollout of vaccines, we must not lose focus on the issues surrounding broadband access that can hinder our progress towards a “new normal.”

Articles and Stories
In Deep: Helping Sandy-Affected Communities Address Vulnerability and Confront Risk

An interim report, three years after Hurricane Sandy, on New Jersey Future’s groundbreaking local recovery planning manager program, including lessons learned and recommendations. October 2015.

2016 Smart Growth Award Winners

A redevelopment of a landmark downtown building; several projects designed to spur homeownership in historically disinvested areas; an urban farm; and a bold resiliency plan are the winners of New Jersey Future’s 2016 Smart Growth Awards. Al Koeppe is the recipient of the Cary Edwards Leadership Award.

Targeting Transit: Assessing Development Opportunities Around New Jersey’s Transit Stations

New Jersey has 243 transit facilities, ranging from small single-track stations to major multi-line hubs. The unique characteristics of each station, of its immediate neighborhood, and of its surrounding municipality mean that a wide variety of development strategies should be brought to bear in order to maximize each location’s potential. This report shows how data assembled by New Jersey Future can be used to make decisions on how to target various kinds of transit-oriented development efforts. September 2012.

2015 Smart Growth Award Winners

A redevelopment of a historic urban park; the expansion of an anchor institution in our capital city; a “complete” redesign of a major urban street; a landmark multi-use building that serves as a community anchor; two plans to revitalize neighborhoods near transit; and a pioneering collaborative effort to improve urban neighborhoods prone to stormwater flooding are the winners of New Jersey Future’s 2015 Smart Growth Awards. Anne S. Babineau Esq. wins the Cary Edwards Leadership Award.

2014 Smart Growth Award Winners

Three types of housing developments; two plans to revitalize fading downtowns; an industrial riverfront transformed into an urban asset; a project that will serve as an anchor of hope to its community; and a regional plan for smart economic growth are all winners of New Jersey Future’s 2014 Smart Growth Awards. Joe Maraziti Jr. Esq., receives the Cary Edwards Leadership Award.

See all New Jersey Future Blog posts and articles in this category »
 

Reports, Presentations and Testimony

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