Planning with Purpose: Beth Osborne Calls for Local Leadership and Smart Coalitions

July 1st, 2025 by Valerie Merritt

At the 2025 New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference, hosted in partnership by New Jersey Future and the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association, Beth Osborne—Interim President and CEO of Smart Growth America—delivered a keynote that challenged and inspired. In front of a packed audience of planners, community advocates, and developers, Osborne made one thing clear: transformative change starts locally. She shared that between infrastructure, affordable housing, and transportation, all of it must be grounded in what people need on the ground, not what’s dictated from Washington, and that we must take advantage of the opportunity to bring broad coalitions together to improve our communities.

Osborne emphasized that the most successful policy changes come not from silos, but from broad, inclusive coalitions. This call to partnership resonated deeply with the spirit of the conference, which brought together more than 500 leaders across sectors to reimagine a more equitable, sustainable New Jersey.

Housing affordability remains one of New Jersey’s most pressing challenges, and Osborne brought attention to two very basic fundamentals—but often overlooked—questions:

Where is there demand for housing?
What type of housing does the community actually need?

She urged planners to align housing production with local needs rather than default to outdated formulas or generalized assumptions. “We must regulate for what we want and deliver results,” Osborne said.

She called for updating housing policies and zoning guidelines to better reflect community priorities—and for delivering real results, not just plans on paper.

One of the most powerful moments in Osborne’s remarks came when she stressed the need for accountability at every level of government, in and outside of Washington.

Beth Osborne reminded us that while federal support can be valuable, local action, informed by local voices, ultimately shapes the future of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.

As New Jersey Future continues to champion smart growth, equitable housing, and climate-resilient infrastructure, Osborne’s message rings loud and clear: the time is now to lead boldly, build coalitions, and design communities where everyone can thrive.