Working for Smart Growth:
More Livable Places and Open Spaces

 

Author Archive

Newark Is Apparently Not a City Either

Friday, April 20th, 2012

Whether there’s a resurgence in walkable, urban-style living depends largely on what you choose to categorize as “urban.”

“One-Seat Ride” Not Contingent on the (Now-Canceled) ARC Tunnel

Friday, April 13th, 2012

The cancellation of the ARC Tunnel does not mean the purchase of dual-mode locomotives is now unnecessary. These locomotives can still provide one-seat rides to many commuters.

More New Jersey Commuters Relying on Transit to Get to Work

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

New data show that more New Jersey commuters are relying on transit to get to work, and that, even with the decentralization of employment, there has been no increase in the percentage of solo drivers.

Why Hunterdon County Should Regionalize Its School Districts

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Hunterdon County is considering moving to a single, county-wide school district. This would not only save overhead and administrative costs, it would have significant land-use benefits, including the possibility of cheaper and more diverse housing.

Does New Jersey Have Room to Grow?

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

New Jersey could gain another million residents in the next 30 years. Based on the population trend in New Jersey’s urban areas, more than half of them could be accommodated in our cities without having to disturb a single acre of new land.

Is Route 1 a Street … or a Road?

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

What’s the difference between a street and a road? Focusing on the different primary purposes of each could help bring clarity to the discussion over how to address the traffic congestion on major arteries like Route 1 in Mercer County, and how best to implement a bus rapid transit system there.

Census Data Show Population Growth Has Slowed Across New Jersey

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

New census county and municipal data for New Jersey show a slowdown in migration, the continued resilience of the state’s cities, and new frontiers of sprawl in the southern part of the state.

The ‘Shadow Northeast Corridor’ Draws Warehouses … and People

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Land values are pushing commuters out to the periphery of the Northeast Corridor, which means they have to drive long distances back in to get to work.

We Work Close to Home … But We Drive There

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

The recently released American Community Survey gives us the first look in 10 years at commuting data at the county and local level. New Jersey is still a national leader in transit ridership, thanks primarily to its transit system’s orientation toward the major employment hubs of New York City and Philadelphia. Unfortunately, this leaves most in-state workers with driving as their only option, although Hudson and Essex counties provide examples of what can happen when we think about improving access to our homegrown centers.

Zero-Vehicle Households and Transit

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

The metropolitan areas with the greatest numbers of zero-vehicle households are also among those doing the best job of serving the car-less population, the majority of which is lower-income households. However, the high rate of co-location of zero-vehicle households with public transportation illustrates the painful irony of encouraging lower-income car-less households to live near transit while jobs are migrating away from transit on the other end.

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Ingrid Reed For Our Future Fund

 

Our New Jersey Future board of trustees, our staff, and our community, honors Ingrid’s legacy with the Ingrid Reed For our Future Fund, supporting education and training for future Smart Growth leaders with a particular focus on diversifying the field.

 

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