New Jersey Future urges the adoption of the growth share approach. Growth share alone will not supply all of the affordable housing New Jersey so desperately needs. But it is a step in the right direction that will help communities better manage sprawling development as they provide much needed housing for New Jersey workers and families.
Author Archive
The Housing Hunt
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2002Real Winter Warmth?
Tuesday, December 11th, 2001The way we use our land in New Jersey is changing our climate, and in turn, could dramatically change our economy and way of life.
New Taxes or No, Tax System Needs Repair
Friday, November 30th, 2001UNINTENDED TAX CONSEQUENCES
As New Jersey’s leaders argued this week how best to live within state means without raising taxes, the Fund for New Jersey reported that nearly half of all state and local taxes collected in New Jersey come from property taxes (47 percent). In most states, the property tax burden is closer to 30 […]
New Priorities Call For Better Coordination, Oversight of Planning
Wednesday, October 31st, 2001NEW PLANNING PRIORITIES
In the League of Women Voters’ debate, New Jersey’s Democratic candidate for Governor reaffirmed he would prohibit state spending that is inconsistent with New Jersey’s State Plan. The Republican candidate responded affirmatively as well for the first time publicly, although elsewhere in the debate he offered investment ideas that were at odds with […]
Building Stronger Communities by Tax Sharing
Thursday, September 20th, 2001TAXES AND SHARING
New Jersey’s property tax rates vary widely by community, but with a common pattern: Communities with the largest needs and least ability to pay consistently bear the highest tax rates, while communities boasting the lowest tax rates include our most affluent towns.
The 24 communities with the highest property tax rates (3.5 percent […]
Saving Land Without The Tax Bite Takes TDRs
Wednesday, August 1st, 2001Saving Land, Sparing Taxpayers
New Jersey announced last week that it will spend $230 million to purchase another 58,000 acres of farmland and open space, and preserve these from development.
In March, Burlington County preserved 640 acres of farm property at no cost to taxpayers by using “transfer of development rights,” or TDR.
Used successfully by other states […]
Healthiest Gains Come From Walkable Communities
Thursday, June 28th, 2001The Center for Disease Control reports that trips made by walking or cycling had declined to 6.4 percent by 1995, a direct consequence of sprawl.
Planning Trumps Size When It Comes To Traffic
Thursday, May 31st, 2001Traffic Delays
Size isn’t everything. In large cities where growth was planned around transportation investments like trains and subways, traffic delays are a fraction of those experienced by smaller cities where growth has largely followed the automobile.
Case in point: The 16.4 million people in the New York/Northeastern NJ area are delayed by traffic an average […]
Increasing Mom’s Choice of Where To Live
Friday, May 11th, 2001Mothers In New Jersey
Hallmark alone offers a choice of 2,375 different Mother Day card designs this year.
Yet whether they are seniors or new to motherhood, New Jersey’s mothers (and their families) face a shrinking choice of where to live.
More than half of New Jersey’s communities (299) have expired plans, or no plans at […]
New Jersey’s “Principal Cities” Now Include Suburbs
Wednesday, March 14th, 2001The Metro “A” List
New Jersey’s “principal cities” for the new decade will include the lesser-known cities of Vineland, Millville, Bridgeton and Pleasantville, when last week’s 2000 Census population figures are subjected to new federal standards for naming major metropolitan areas.
A few large suburban centers would also make the Garden State’s “principal cities” list – […]
