New 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.
Cities and Towns
New Jersey Residents Are Concerned About How the State Has Developed
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011Menendez Focuses on TOD Funding in Updated Livable Communities Act
Thursday, September 29th, 2011Sen. Menendez introduces an updated Livable Communities Act, including funding to spark private investment in transit-oriented development.
What makes a great place to live?
Friday, August 19th, 2011CNNMoney’s list of great places to live is a good start, but how about some more smart-growth indicators included in the criteria they used?
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.
New Jersey Cities Breathe Sigh of Relief
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011Gov. Christie has put transitional aid to cities, accompanied by oversight mechanisms, back in the budget, but has said he wants to wean cities off this aid. Given a half-century of disinvestment in urban areas, that may not be possible as soon as he would like. Until cities’ property tax bases reverse their decline, state aid will still be needed to deliver critical services.
The Mall as Private City
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011Illuminated by two more decades of hindsight into the evolution of the retail sector, the mall does share some previously under-appreciated similarities with the old downtown that it nearly killed off.
Mutiny in the Meadowlands
Saturday, June 11th, 2011The Meadowlands’ long-standing and nationally-renowned regional tax sharing program is at risk. For over forty years, this system has enabled sound regional planning and environmental principles to guide the area’s renaissance, rather than competition for ratables.
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.
Smart Growth Photo Contest
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011We are inviting artists, students and anyone interested to submit original artwork representing smart growth themes such as walkable communities, vibrant civic spaces, alternative transportation (walking, biking, public transit), preserved farms and natural spaces.
Is Jersey City a Suburb? Joel Kotkin Thinks So.
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011For much of the past decade, there has been a constant media drumbeat about the “return to the cities.” Urban real estate interests, environmentalists and planners have widely promoted this idea.