Cities and Towns

The Census Bureau’s municipal population estimates for 2018 show that redevelopment of older centers continues to be the way New Jersey is growing. However, not all areas are seeing this growth.

Even as population growth has moved back to compact, walkable places since 2008, job growth initially continued to occur in low-density suburban locations. The latest numbers from the state Department of Labor show that, starting in 2014, that trend has reversed.

New census county population estimates show older urban areas are continuing to revitalize. Some growth is even returning to New Jersey’s exurban areas.

A group of 18 mayors and organizations concerned with how New Jersey grows and develops has sent a letter to Gov. Murphy urging him to renew focus on the State Plan.

New Jersey Future applauds the Legislature’s Jan. 31, 2019, passage of the Clean Stormwater, Flood Reduction Act, and encourages the governor to sign it.

Strong Towns’ Chuck Marohn will visit Hackensack April 13, 2016, to deliver a presentation on ways to invest for community resiliency and prosperity.

In this report, New Jersey Future analyzed housing affordability in each New Jersey municipality, to see where households headed by someone 65 or older have high housing costs. The places where housing cost burden is greatest fall into two groups: towns that are expensive for everyone, and towns that are dominated by larger, single-family housing stock. December 2015.

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.

An interim report, three years after Hurricane Sandy, on New Jersey Future’s groundbreaking local recovery planning manager program, including lessons learned and recommendations. October 2015.

An analysis of household income distributions in the neighborhoods around New Jersey’s transit stations shows that not all station areas offer the benefits of transit access across all income levels. June 2015.