Gov. Chris Christie today released a new State Strategic Plan, a blueprint for state investment in sustainable economic growth. The governor also announced Executive Order No. 78, authorizing a cabinet-level steering committee to drive implementation. The State Strategic Plan is intended to meet both the spirit and the statutory requirements of the State Planning Act.
New Jersey Future Blog
Christie Releases New State Strategic Plan
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011New Jersey Residents Are Concerned About How the State Has Developed
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011New Jersey residents are unhappy about recent growth patterns, saying they have made the state expensive and difficult to travel. They support coordinated planning to protect natural resources, foster walkable communities and enhance transportation options.
County Growth Plans Poised for Adoption
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011Extension of Sewer Service Areas is one of the most important factors in determining where development will happen next: Where new sewer lines go, development follows. Until recently, most of the state had obsolete, and in some cases nonexistent, designations for where sewers were permitted. But since the Department of Environmental Protection updated its water quality rule in 2008, the situation has changed, and counties are poised to adopt plans designating where sewers are allowed.
We Work Close to Home … But We Drive There
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011The 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.
Incomplete Report Card for Complete Streets
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011In an attempt to enhance safety and make roads more accommodating to bicyclists and pedestrians, the state Department of Transportation adopted a Complete Streets policy in 2009. This policy directs the department to design new roads and retrofit old ones to accommodate all users, not just drivers.
Accommodating Growth in Mercer County
Thursday, August 11th, 2011Development pressures in Mercer County are likely to increase in the next 25 years, exacerbating traffic and loss of open space. Redevelopment is one way to address this problem, by accommodating new growth in areas with existing development and infrastructure. However, redevelopment efforts can face strong public resistance. New Jersey Future convened several groups of thought leaders in Mercer County to examine some of the reasons for this resistance, and to highlight steps that can be taken in the future to minimize it.
Exclusionary Zoning, Sprawl on the Rise
Thursday, July 21st, 2011A new study by Rowan University’s Geospatial Research Laboratory finds that municipal zoning in New Jersey has resulted in a land-use pattern that has grown substantially more exclusionary and more sprawling over the last two decades.
New Jersey’s Solar Ambitions Raise Difficult Land-Use Issues
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011Because of New Jersey’s small size, the effects of solar development on other land uses are more pressing than in other states. As solar development continues, the issue of whether a solar installation is the best use of a given parcel of land will become increasingly salient.
New Jersey Future Announces 10th Anniversary Smart Growth Award-Winners
Friday, June 3rd, 2011A diverse group of innovative development and redevelopment projects located in cities, towns and townships across New Jersey will be honored with Smart Growth Awards from New Jersey Future as part of the 10th Anniversary awards celebration and retrospective.
Seven Trend-Setting Projects, Plans Earn Smart Growth Awards for 2011
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011Seven projects and plans, ranging from a new village center in Byram Township to a creative inter-municipal affordable-housing project in Woodstown Borough and Pilesgrove Township to an innovative recycling facility in Woodbridge, have been selected to receive 2011 Smart Growth Awards.
