Working for Smart Growth:
More Livable Places and Open Spaces

 

Climate and Energy

There is growing recognition, in New Jersey and across the world, that a changing climate is a serious problem that will require urgent action. Concerns about carbon emissions have more and more people talking seriously about hybrid or electric cars, renewable energy, green building technology and other ways to reduce greenhouse gases and conserve energy. There is one crucial piece of the puzzle, however, that is often omitted from this conversation: the role of land use in influencing carbon emissions.

Land use—the decisions we make about where and how to develop—has a profound and lasting effect on our greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. And unlike cars or appliances, which can be replaced every few years if a newer, more efficient model comes along, the decisions we make about how to develop, and the impacts these decisions have on climate and energy, will be with us for generations. Poor land-use decisions not only lead to poor outcomes today, but they also limit our ability to reduce these impacts far into the future.

New Jersey Future Blog
Rolling Along: Why New Jersey Should Join Other States and Offer an E-Bike Incentive Program

Electric bicycles, along with programs intended to incentivize their adoption, are rolling out across the country and New Jersey can’t afford to be left behind in this transportation revolution. Transportation emissions, which account for more than a third of all total greenhouse gas emissions in the state, are a critical target for climate change mitigation, necessitating the use of every tool to help us drive less.

New Jersey Future Provides Direction at Joint State Senate and State Assembly Climate Hearing

“As New Jersey works to advance decarbonization and resilience efforts, we must ensure that residents are able to make informed decisions for themselves, and their families, in the wake of growing climate risks,” said New Jersey Future (NJF) Policy Manager Kim Irby, at the August 11th joint legislative committee hearing hosted by State Senator Bob Smith (D-17) and State Assemblyman James Kennedy (D-22) last Thursday.

Strategizing from Sussex to Stone Harbor: Water Infrastructure in New Jersey’s Climate Strategy

When thinking about climate change in New Jersey, it is easy to focus on the most obvious threat: coastal flooding from sea level rise. However, climate change will have a number of effects on New Jersey’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure as well. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Draft Climate Change Resilience Strategy recognizes these issues and is an important first step toward adapting New Jersey’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure for an uncertain future.

Incorporating Climate Change: It’s the Law

The science is clear: climate change is here, and its threats are only going to grow more pronounced. But, carefully coordinated efforts can simultaneously protect New Jerseyans from these threats and spur economic activity, making our state that much stronger. That was the message from four senior-level officials from Governor Murphy’s administration at the 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference, hosted by New Jersey Future and the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Tracking Progress on Environmental Justice

One of the first situations in which New Jersey’s resolve for advancing environmental justice will be tested is in the spending of proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) program. Participating states are required to use the proceeds from CO2 allowance auctions for programs that are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of clean energy sources, but it is up to each state to decide exactly where (geographically) this money will be spent.

Articles and Stories
Webinar: Understanding Coastal Vulnerability

A one-hour webinar explaining a new, parcel-based tool that assesses financial vulnerability to coastal flooding and sea-level rise. Friday, May 15, 2015, noon – 1:00 pm.

In Deep: Helping Sandy-Affected Communities Address Vulnerability and Confront Risk

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.

New Jersey Future Op-Ed Button
Preparing for the Next Sandy Requires Facing Hard Facts

Oct. 28, 2014 — Two years after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy, many of New Jersey’s coastal communities continue to struggle with recovery and rebuilding efforts. The highest community priority is to get people back into their homes, re-establish business operations and return to life as close to normal as possible. The elected officials who have led these efforts are hardworking heroes. But it’s also clear that recovery decisions made without a clear understanding of future risks can move people back into harm’s way, build infrastructure that will be damaged again, and waste taxpayer dollars.

Time for New Jersey to be Smarter than the Storm

Sept. 4, 2013 — Of all the recommendations that came out of President Obama’s Sandy Rebuilding Task Force Strategy, there is one that will help inform much of the other recovery planning that is currently being done: Incorporate projected sea-level rise into all decision-making.

A Comprehensive Urban Water Strategy for the Hudson Waterfront

2016 Smart Growth Awards: A large-scale, integrated design strategy will manage water along the Hudson riverfront, for both disaster mitigation and long-term growth, delivering multiple community co-benefits.

See all New Jersey Future Blog posts and articles in this category »
 

Reports, Presentations and Testimony

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