Exciting Updates to NJ’s State Plan—Don’t Miss Your Chance to Speak Up!

February 18th, 2025 by Tim Evans

New Jersey Future (NJF) has been a key advocate for the State Plan since our founding in 1987, championing smart growth policies to improve communities and safeguard natural resources. NJF was a member of the consultant team that assisted the Office of Planning Advocacy with the update to the State Plan. I contributed analysis on multiple subject matter areas addressed in the Plan, including parts of the Research Briefs section, Population and Employment Projections section, and the Lasting changes in the post-COVID world section.

The “Research Briefs” section consists of four subject-matter reports:
- Transit-Oriented Development’s Renaissance in New Jersey
- Young Adults and Walkable Urbanism
- Redevelopment Is the New Normal
- Planning for the Challenges of an Aging New Jersey
The “Population and Employment Projections” section describes how we evaluated population and employment projections, the issues we examined, and what methodology we decided to adopt. The projections are discussed in the State Planning Commission (SPC) meeting minutes from the 11-6-24 meeting, where the SPC officially adopted the population and employment projections as we recommended.
The final section of the Population and Employment Projections Appendix, labeled “Lasting changes in the post-COVID world,” highlights some questions that arose during the State Plan update process about changes that were brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to watch for which of these changes have staying power and which might revert to their pre-pandemic state since they will have implications for what future growth and development in New Jersey looks like.

NJF remains committed to helping advance the State Plan and ensuring its success across the Garden State, but we can’t do it alone. You can help make the State Plan update a success by providing feedback on the draft plan or joining a public meeting!

Attend one of a series of upcoming public meetings, one in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties. The Salem County meeting happens on February 19, at 5 p.m. and the NJ Highlands Council and Somerset County meetings are February 20. Find more information on these and your county meeting here.

Email (stateplan dot commentssos dot nj dot gov) to submit your comments.

Public comments can be submitted at any time during the cross-acceptance process which culminates with the State Planning Commission meeting (anticipated December 2025) at which the vote will take place to adopt the final version of the Plan.

To ensure adequate time for comments to be considered, the Office of Planning Advocacy recommends submitting by April 16, while the county public information meetings are still taking place.

Timeline for Cross-Acceptance Process:

December 6, 2024: Cross Acceptance commences. Draft Preliminary State Development and Redevelopment Plan released for public comment.
February 12 to April 16, 2025: Public Information Meetings, one per county. Check the Update to State Development and Redevelopment Plan page in the item about the 2025 County Public Meeting schedule for the latest.
Spring/Summer 2025:
- Cross Acceptance Reports
- Statements of Agreements and Disagreements
- Negotiation Phase
- State Agency Reports and Responses
- Complete Infrastructure Needs Assessment, Phase II and Impact Assessment
Summer/Fall 2025:
- Incorporate results of Cross-Acceptance into the Final Draft State Development and Redevelopment Plan
- Hold six (6) Public Hearings (5 virtual and 1 in person)
- Release the Final Draft State Development and Redevelopment Plan
Winter 2025: State Planning Commission adopts final State Development and Redevelopment Plan