Local Planning

Downtown Millville during their monthly Third Friday event. Source: NJSLOM

In New Jersey, the power to plan and zone for development is largely in the hands of the state’s 565 municipalities.

The Municipal Land Use Law (NJSA 40:55D-1) grants towns the power to enact a master plan to set land-use priorities and direction, as well as adopt a zoning ordinance to dictate where and in what form development should happen, all with the purpose of protecting the health, safety and welfare of citizens. The local zoning administrator, as well as the volunteer planning and zoning board members, have the responsibility to interpret and enforce the community’s master plan and zoning ordinance. Because development impacts do not stop at municipal borders, it is important to provide communities with the necessary guidance, tools, laws and regulations to make sound land-use decisions that reflect the broader planning context.

Future Facts

At Convention, Builders Take Interest in Green Infrastructure

April 10, 2019 by Kandyce Perry

Builders at the Atlantic Builders Convention took a good deal of interest in best practices and benefits of green stormwater management techniques. Proposed new rules will require its use.

New Jersey Future Sends Letter to Governor Urging Him To Sign Stormwater Utility Legislation

February 27, 2019 by Elaine Clisham

New Jersey Future Executive Director Pete Kasabach has sent a letter to Governor Murphy urging him to sign the Clean Stormwater and Flood Reduction Act, which would permit local government entities to establish stormwater management utilities.

New Jersey Future Submits Comments on Proposed Stormwater Rule Amendments

February 4, 2019 by Louise Wilson

New Jersey Future submitted comments on proposed changes to the NJDEP’s stormwater management rules, praising the emphasis on green infrastructure and offering recommendations for making the rule clearer and more effective.

Group of Mayors, Organizations Sends Letter Urging Gov. Murphy To Renew Focus on State Plan

February 1, 2019 by Elaine Clisham

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 Statement on Passage of the Clean Stormwater, Flood Reduction Act

January 31, 2019 by New Jersey Future staff

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.

Articles and Stories

Redeveloping the Norm: Identifying and Overcoming Developer Obstacles to Redevelopment in New Jersey

This report identifies strategies to lower both cost and risk in redevelopment projects, as redevelopment increasingly becomes the norm for accommodating growth in New Jersey. January 2016.

Strong Towns Presentation

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

Honoring Dr. George Pruitt

A cocktail reception Oct. 29, 2015, to honor Dr. George Pruitt, a leader in higher education and redevelopment and a friend of New Jersey Future.

Creating Places To Age: Housing Affordability and Aging-Friendly Communities

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.