Working for Smart Growth:
More Livable Places and Open Spaces

 

State Planning

Navigating New Jersey’s REAL Rules

Wednesday, July 16th, 2025

“Sixty-two thousand homes along New Jersey’s coast will experience chronic flooding by 2050,” said Diane Schrauth, Water Policy Director at New Jersey Future, during the 2025 NJ Planning & Redevelopment Conference (NJPRC). That will be the material reality for tens of thousands of New Jerseyans who will face skyrocketing flood insurance rates, loss of property value, and, eventually, displacement.

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

Tuesday, July 1st, 2025

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.

Exciting Updates to NJ’s State Plan—Don’t Miss Your Chance to Speak Up!

Tuesday, February 18th, 2025

New Jersey Future (NJF) has been a key advocate for the State Plan since our founding in 1987, championing smart growth policies to improve communities and safeguard natural resources. NJF was a member of the consultant team that assisted the Office of Planning Advocacy with the update to the State Plan. I contributed analysis on multiple subject matter areas addressed in the Plan, including parts of the Research Briefs section, Population and Employment Projections section, and the Lasting changes in the post-COVID world section.

Breaking Down the State Revolving Fund – Recommendations and Changes

Monday, December 2nd, 2024

Over the next 20 years, the United States must spend $625 billion to fix, maintain, and improve water infrastructure. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, New Jersey alone will need to spend at least $12,252,800,000 on drinking water infrastructure and $19,352,000,000 on clean water infrastructure over the next 20 years to make all necessary improvements and repairs.

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

Tuesday, December 5th, 2023

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!

Thursday, October 12th, 2023

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

Tuesday, July 18th, 2023

“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

Tuesday, July 18th, 2023

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

Thursday, February 11th, 2021

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.”

New Jersey Future Executive Director To Co-Chair Waterfront Alliance Coastal Resilience Task Force

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019

New Jersey Future Executive Director Peter Kasabach has been named a co-chair of the Waterfront Alliance’s new Coastal Resiliency Task Force. The task force will work to build consensus around needed resiliency measures, and issue a recommendations report.

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