New Jersey’s housing costs are among the highest in the country. The state ranks seventh in median home value and fourth in median rent. The state is losing younger households to other states, and evidence points to high housing costs as one of the reasons. To create more of the kinds of homes that younger households are looking for—in the neighborhoods they want to live in—New Jersey should consider revising the zoning and parking requirements that determine what kind of housing gets built and where.
Author Archive
New Jersey Needs More “Missing Middle” Housing
Monday, July 19th, 2021Ensuring Equity in Transit-Oriented Development
Friday, June 25th, 2021State leaders are embracing the concept of transit-oriented development (TOD), which encourages residential and commercial development to locate within walking distance of public transit stations, enabling residents to complete some or all of their trips without a car. The private sector also recognizes the demand for housing in transit-accessible towns. But with transit-adjacent neighborhoods being a limited commodity, how do we make sure the option of living near transit is available to everyone? The Ensuring Equity in Transit-Oriented Development session examined population patterns with respect to race and income around New Jersey’s transit stations.
Two Homes, One Roof: Making NJ More Welcoming with ADUs
Friday, June 25th, 2021Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are an often overlooked and underutilized solution to the affordable housing shortage we face in New Jersey and across the Northeast. At the 2021 New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference, a session entitled Two Homes, One Roof: Making NJ More Welcoming with ADUs discussed the importance of ADUs and their potential as a strategy for increasing the state’s housing options.
Incorporating Climate Change: It’s the Law
Thursday, June 24th, 2021The science is clear: climate change is here, and its threats are only going to grow more pronounced. But, carefully coordinated efforts can simultaneously protect New Jerseyans from these threats and spur economic activity, making our state that much stronger. That was the message from four senior-level officials from Governor Murphy’s administration at the 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference, hosted by New Jersey Future and the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Tracking Progress on Environmental Justice
Tuesday, June 15th, 2021One of the first situations in which New Jersey’s resolve for advancing environmental justice will be tested is in the spending of proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) program. Participating states are required to use the proceeds from CO2 allowance auctions for programs that are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of clean energy sources, but it is up to each state to decide exactly where (geographically) this money will be spent.
Hoboken’s Focus on Vision Zero Makes Streets Safe for Everyone
Thursday, May 6th, 2021Hoboken’s laudable achievement is the result of a deliberate and sustained effort, the centerpiece of which is the redesign of a 16-block stretch of Washington Street, the city’s main commercial thoroughfare.
Single-Family Zoning: An Idea Whose Time Has Passed?
Monday, April 12th, 2021New Jersey should follow Oregon’s and California’s lead and take advantage of the growing national momentum toward zoning reform, to at least begin a discussion about how such reforms might work in New Jersey.
School District Consolidation Is More Than Just a Cost-Saving Measure
Monday, April 12th, 2021Regionalizing school districts could also help increase housing options and make New Jersey a less segregated state.
Can the Reduction in Travel Prompted by COVID-19 Be Sustained?
Monday, March 15th, 2021When people drive less, greenhouse gas emissions go down. There are many ways to help people drive less—working from home is one of them, but we can also reduce the need to travel by car by building things closer together, reducing the distances between people’s desired destinations.
Warehouse Sprawl: Plan Now or Suffer the Consequences
Monday, March 15th, 2021The warehouse development that has been steadily spreading south into farm fields along the New Jersey Turnpike might be a preview of things to come if we fail to plan for the growth in the movement and storage of stuff.
