Working for Smart Growth:
More Livable Places and Open Spaces

 

Land-Use Solutions

Because transportation and land use are so intertwined, often the best and least expensive solution to a transportation problem is a solution that incorporates broader land-use issues.

Rather than continually building or widening roads, employing smart land-use strategies can reduce the need to drive. These strategies include zoning that allows destinations to be closer together, building “Complete Streets” that accommodate other modes of transportation besides cars, and providing better linkages between properties and neighborhoods so that local traffic isn’t forced onto the “main” road for every trip.

Simply adding capacity to roads to address congestion creates a vicious cycle that ultimately leads to more congestion. To alleviate congestion, transportation planners should look first to the larger land-use issues surrounding the given problem and address these issues in the solution.

New Jersey Future Blog
Creating Safe Communities and Options for Walk-Bike-Ride Transportation in New Jersey

“Every decision about transportation is an opportunity to build a clean, healthy, and more prosperous future,” declared Christopher Coes, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as he provided prepared remarks to open the session “Delivering Walk-Bike-Ride Transportation in New Jersey” at the 2023 Planning and Redevelopment Conference co-hosted by the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association and New Jersey Future.

Incorporating Climate Change: It’s the Law

The science is clear: climate change is here, and its threats are only going to grow more pronounced. But, carefully coordinated efforts can simultaneously protect New Jerseyans from these threats and spur economic activity, making our state that much stronger. That was the message from four senior-level officials from Governor Murphy’s administration at the 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference, hosted by New Jersey Future and the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association.

To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, We Need to Drive Less—and Build Smarter

A new report from Transportation for America, Driving Down Emissions: Transportation, Land Use, and Climate Change, makes clear that the amount of carbon we pump into the atmosphere still depends on how much we drive, which in turn depends on where and how we build things.

Changes to Municipal Land Use Law would make NJ municipalities more resilient

Currently, New Jersey’s Municipal Land Use Law does not account for climate change, but a bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith and Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin would require the land use plan element of municipal master plans assess likely impacts associated with climate change-related risks and devise strategies to address them.

Broadband for All: The Geography of Digital Equity in New Jersey

For New Jersey’s recovery from the pandemic to be successful, everyone should have the ability to access the internet at reasonable speeds with affordable prices regardless of their geography or income.

Articles and Stories
welcome to new jersey traffic sign
Fiscal Implications of Development Patterns: Roads in New Jersey

In this report, New Jersey Future and Smart Growth America analyzed per-capita road usage. The results show that places with the highest activity density have the lowest per-capita usage, suggesting per-capita road-maintenance costs can be reduced by even marginal increases in density. November 2015.

Creating Places To Age in New Jersey

There is a significant mismatch in New Jersey between where large numbers of older residents live and which municipalities are most prepared to accommodate them. This report matches every municipality against four age-friendliness indicators, and analyzes the degree to which New Jersey’s older residents are living in places that, from a land-use perspective, are not prepared to accommodate their changing needs. January 2014.

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.

Transforming the State’s Streets

2013 Smart Growth Awards: A comprehensive policy, along with a strong outreach effort, is helping the State of New Jersey and its municipalities re-envision streets in order to consider the needs of all users.

From Opera House to Senior Housing

2014 Smart Growth Awards: A former grand opera house gets a mixed-use future, combining retail amenities with housing for older residents and veterans.

Reports, Presentations and Testimony

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