On December 17, 2025, the State Planning Commission officially adopted the 2025 State Development and Redevelopment Plan (SDRP or “State Plan”), the first complete update of the Plan since 2001. The State Plan is designed to serve as a roadmap for guiding New Jersey’s growth and development to ensure…

Across the state, transformative planning and redevelopment projects are improving lives, often without public recognition. New Jersey Future’s Smart Growth Awards honor projects, plans, and policies across the state that demonstrate smart growth principles in action that positively impact the broader community.

The projects and their primary partner teams receive a promotional video highlighting the impact of their project and are recognized at our annual in-person Smart Growth Awards event. Plans are underway for this event taking place in October of this year.

Submissions will be accepted through March 31.

• Despite opposition from New Jersey Future and the transportation advocacy community, the e-bike bill, S4834/A6235, was signed into law by Governor Murphy before leaving office last month. This is arguably the strictest e-bike law in the country, with New Jersey becoming the first state to require a license and registration to operate a low-speed e-bike. Although this is a disappointing outcome, the fight is not over. New Jersey can still rectify its mistake and effectively amend the e-bike law. We are thankful for the leadership and coordination among all the transportation advocates who are leading the charge against this law.
• Last month marked the adoption of the NJ Protecting Against Climate Threats (PACT) Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) Rule. The REAL rules adoption is a significant step toward protecting New Jersey residents and communities from the growing impacts of climate change. Read our official statement.
• Lifelong Strong New Jersey is respectfully calling on the Sherrill administration to sign an executive order to establish a Multisector Plan for Aging and build on New Jersey’s existing age-friendly initiatives. New Jersey Future is a Lifelong Strong New Jersey partner ready to get to work to deliver for the state’s older adults. Read the letter to Governor Sherrill.

Smart Growth is equitable growth. It is also restorative, as smart growth and redevelopment can help correct systemic racial and economic disparities. As New Jersey Future drives land use decision-making toward more equitable outcomes, we will be sharing useful resources and lessons in this monthly spotlight. Please give us your feedback and share with us any particularly insightful articles, talks, events, or videos that you come across.

Building a Just and Sustainable New Jersey for All by Valerie Merritt, press and public affairs manager

Black History Month invites us not only to reflect on the past, but to examine the systems shaping our present, and to recommit to building a more just future. At New Jersey Future, equity is not a standalone value; it is embedded in every issue we tackle, from housing affordability and transportation to water infrastructure and public health.

For Black and Brown communities across New Jersey, these systems are deeply interconnected. Historic redlining and discriminatory land-use policies continue to influence where families can afford to live, how easily they can access jobs and healthcare, and whether their neighborhoods are protected from environmental harm.

Communities that were once denied investment are often the same places facing aging infrastructure, neglected public spaces, and higher exposure to pollution and flooding.

When we think of trails, we primarily see them as environmental or public health amenities, but there is an opportunity to reap immense economic benefits. Trails contribute to workforce attraction, increased property values, tourism, and job creation. As communities seek cost-effective strategies to support economic growth and quality of life, trail investment should be considered a core tool.

This report specifically examines the use and application of county open space trust funds (OSTF) for trail development, focusing on research and interviews with Burlington, Camden, and Mercer counties.