Working for Smart Growth:
More Livable Places and Open Spaces

 

Development and Redevelopment

New Jersey Needs More “Missing Middle” Housing

Monday, July 19th, 2021

New Jersey’s housing costs are among the highest in the country. The state ranks seventh in median home value and fourth in median rent. The state is losing younger households to other states, and evidence points to high housing costs as one of the reasons. To create more of the kinds of homes that younger households are looking for—in the neighborhoods they want to live in—New Jersey should consider revising the zoning and parking requirements that determine what kind of housing gets built and where.

Filling the Missing Middle: Context-Sensitive Design and Development Innovations for Diverse, Sustainable, Walkable Neighborhoods

Friday, June 25th, 2021

Increasing the housing stock in the most densely populated state in the country may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Panelists shared how they resolve the tension between municipalities’ need to grow and residents’ fear of change at the 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference’s Filling the Missing Middle: Context-Sensitive Design and Development Innovations for Diverse, Sustainable, Walkable Neighborhoods panel.

Municipal Approach to Racial and Economic Inclusion

Friday, June 25th, 2021

In a session entitled Municipal Approach to Racial and Economic Inclusion held at the 2021 New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference and co-hosted by New Jersey Future and the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association, elected officials explored what can be done to foster more racial and economic inclusion in planning and redevelopment.

How to Reinvigorate Retail-Anchored Downtowns in a Post-Pandemic World

Friday, June 25th, 2021

Downtown economies need to reimagine retail. With empty storefronts plaguing Main Streets across the state and country, the How to Reinvigorate Retail-Anchored Downtowns in a Post-Pandemic World panel at the 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference offered insight about the future of downtown retail amid a time of uncertainty. Recognizing that the pandemic rewarded retailers that were “adaptive, resourceful, and capable of reinvention,” the panel described a large-scale placemaking project in the redevelopment of key sites in downtown Westfield and offered a forward-thinking perspective for attracting and retaining retail.

The Future of New Jersey: An Economic Forecast

Friday, June 25th, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic devastated New Jersey in terms of both human life and the economy, but as the state opens back up, there are reasons to be optimistic for New Jersey’s future. There are also demographic and real estate trends that we must proactively counter and remain mindful of as our economy bounces back. Jeffrey Otteau, Managing Partner and Chief Economist at Otteau Group, presented facts and figures to show where we’ve been, as well as projections to show where we’re headed, during The Future of New Jersey: An Economic Forecast keynote session at the 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference.

Web Mapping to Support Smart Equitable Cities in Community Planning

Friday, June 25th, 2021

“Web mapping is a supertool for planners,” according to Rowan University Geography Professor John Hasse. The Web Mapping to Support Smart Equitable Cities in Community Planning session at the 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference demonstrated just that with several case studies highlighting new web mapping initiatives in New Jersey.

Creating Aging-Friendly Communities Through Municipal Actions and Partnerships

Friday, June 25th, 2021

While responding to the unique needs of older adults, the cultivation of aging-friendly municipalities can also benefit community members across all age groups. At the Creating Aging-Friendly Communities Through Municipal Actions and Partnerships session at the 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference, aging-friendly advocates and local officials expressed the importance of aging-friendly communities and described strategies for making municipalities more inclusive for older adults.

Community Benefits Agreements: Understanding the New Requirement and How to Create a Win-Win

Friday, June 25th, 2021

Given that Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) are built into the structure of the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act, which was signed into law in January 2021, it is no longer a question of if they will happen, but when they will happen. This is what Kelvin Boddy, Director of Healthy Homes and Communities at the […]

Two Homes, One Roof: Making NJ More Welcoming with ADUs

Friday, June 25th, 2021

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are an often overlooked and underutilized solution to the affordable housing shortage we face in New Jersey and across the Northeast. At the 2021 New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference, a session entitled Two Homes, One Roof: Making NJ More Welcoming with ADUs discussed the importance of ADUs and their potential as a strategy for increasing the state’s housing options.

A New Housing Model for New Jersey

Tuesday, May 4th, 2021

Guest author AIA NJ President Joshua Zinder shares the importance of providing “missing middle” housing options to fill a gap in housing and revitalize communities.

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