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Regional Planning
Historically, the New Jersey Legislature has passed laws to promote regional planning. Through these efforts, the Legislature demonstrated its willingness to reclaim powers it had previously delegated to municipalities under the Municipal Land Use Law and other statutes, in order to transform land-use governance in specific locations.
Yet, regional planning occurs in a less comprehensive manner on the county level, authorized by the New Jersey County Planning Enabling Act (1935). There are some municipalities that have formed voluntary regional planning organizations such as, the Sourland Mountain Area and the Great Swamp Watershed.
New Jersey’s three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) – the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization – engage in efforts to plan for land development and infrastructure investments at the scale of the entire metropolitan area.
By coordinating efforts across multiple jurisdictions, regional planning can have many benefits for residents and provide ways to rethink local land use decisions. Cost-sharing agreements among municipalities can create efficient resource allocation, reduce costs of infrastructure investments, and save tax-payers money by consolidating or expanding quality public services.
Shore communities that are under the greatest threat of sea-level rise can explore initial shared services with neighboring municipalities and, ultimately, a path toward consolidation in order to invest in hazard adaptation infrastructure to protect their neighborhoods.
New Jersey Future supports and participates in regional planning efforts, by sharing our research and policy recommendations with regional planning entities and participating in stakeholder groups. Connect with us and check out our resources.
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