New Jersey Future Blog
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Logging On: Examining the Influence of NUMTOTs on Urbanism Discourse
September 19, 2024 : 0 comments
“Whatever your niche interests are, there’s already a conversation happening online about it,” Michael Atkins, Communications Director at New Jersey Future, opened astutely when moderating the session “Logging On: Examining the Influence of NUMTOTs on Urbanism Discourse” at the 2024 New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference hosted by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association and New Jersey Future.
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Sustainable and Cost-Efficient: Implementing a Dig-Once Policy in Trenton
August 30, 2024 : 0 comments
Funding, funding, funding–the chorus frequently heard at the inception of almost every community improvement project. Financing remains one of the largest obstacles to infrastructure improvements.
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Harmful Algal Blooms impacting recreation season for NJ Lakes
July 30, 2024 : 0 comments
Budd Lake, New Jersey’s largest natural freshwater body, was once an attractive vacation spot in North Jersey during the latter half of the 19th century for sunbathing, swimming, boating, and nearby attractions that have continued to today. Now, Budd Lake faces water quality impairments that threaten the recreation season and associated economic activities.
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Heat, Air Quality, and Hope: Community Research and Resilience in Elizabeth, NJ
July 30, 2024 : 0 comments
Elizabeth is nestled on the shore of Newark Bay in Union County, a dense, urban enclave in the heart of the Meadowlands estuary and wetlands. Our neighbors include: the Newark Liberty International Airport, where planes fly by my apartment multiple times a day creating noise nuisance.
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New Jersey Needs More Housing, and Municipalities are on the Front Lines
July 30, 2024 : 0 comments
Without a safe, stable place to call home, how can people achieve any personal goals?” asked Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez. Her opening remarks kicked off the session, “Housing: What’s Next in New Jersey?” at the 2024 NJ Planning and Redevelopment Conference.
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Stormwater Pays No Mind to Municipal Borders—Why Should You?
July 30, 2024 : 0 comments
“Stormwater follows watershed boundaries, not political boundaries,” said Dr. Dan Van Abs, Professor at Rutgers University, during the 2024 New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference (PRC). Many of New Jersey’s 564 municipalities grapple with flooding issues. For some, it is not uncommon for as little as three inches of rainfall to grind daily life to a halt.
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New Jersey’s Housing Landscape: The Mount Laurel Doctrine and the Search for the Missing Middle
July 30, 2024 : 0 comments
The rising costs of housing in New Jersey are affecting everyone, especially individuals and households at the lower end of the income spectrum. New Jersey’s unique Mount Laurel doctrine is meant to address the need for housing for lower-income households, but it also indirectly has a major effect on the supply of market-rate multi-family units in the process.