From national conferences to statewide celebrations, April has proven an especially eventful and energizing month for New Jersey Future staff. Our convenings and collaborations with national and local leaders have reaffirmed the importance of relying upon the knowledge and expertise of affected communities to make long-lasting systemic policy changes. 

Whether engaging locally, statewide, or nationally, we are always excited to celebrate Earth Day each April. We hope that you were able to take a pause and appreciate our planet and its life-giving systems. This Earth Day also marks the 52nd birthday of our New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. It’s hard to imagine our state without this vital resource.

In addition to the natural environment, the built environment also demands our creative energy and attention as we reimagine environmentally sustainable—and affordable—communities. Too often in New Jersey and across the country, municipalities are characterized by dependence on cars and inefficient land use patterns, trends that negatively impact pedestrians and cyclists, as well as low-income community members and older adults more broadly. In his latest blog post, New Jersey Future Director of Research Tim Evans discusses how we can reverse these trends in ways that will simultaneously save lives and benefit our environment. 

Throughout the upcoming months, New Jersey Future and APA New Jersey staff will be working diligently to prepare for the 2022 NJ Planning and Redevelopment Conference, where speakers will share similarly thought-provoking solutions to our state’s most pressing challenges. The conference will be held virtually on June 14-15 and in person at the Hyatt in New Brunswick on June 16. After last year’s entirely virtual event, our staff eagerly awaits opportunities to engage with colleagues and cultivate new relationships in person.

Driving and parking reinforce each other. The provision of parking at every destination encourages people to drive, and the more people drive, the more parking spaces property owners think they need to provide. Fortunately, New Jersey’s older, mixed-use centers show that the pattern can also work in reverse.

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Registration is now open for the 2022 NJ Planning and Redevelopment Conference! June 14-16

Learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

Municipalities can now pursue the Sustainable Jersey Community Design For All Ages action. This action encourages municipalities to enact land use changes that will enhance livability in their communities, particularly for older adults. The action provides resources to conduct an age-friendly land use assessment, engage with the community around issues of livability, develop an age-friendly implementation plan, and implement meaningful age-friendly actions focused on housing, mobility, transportation, and access to community amenities.

Governor Murphy's proposed budget shares an expectation to spend $2 billion of unallocated federal funds on infrastructure, including "clean drinking water access" and "flood resistant communities," in addition to transportation and technology. It is now in the legislature's hands to prioritize this funding for water infrastructure. Check out the Clean Water, Healthy Families, Good Jobs site for our recommendations. New Jersey Future is a proud member of the Clean Water, Healthy Families, Good Jobs coalition.

Smart Growth is equitable growth. It is also restorative, as smart growth and redevelopment can help correct systemic racial and economic disparities. As New Jersey Future drives land use decision-making toward more equitable outcomes, we will be sharing useful resources and lessons in this monthly spotlight. Please give us your feedback and share with us any particularly insightful articles, talks, events, or videos that you come across.

As many New Jerseyans anticipate warmer weather following a cold winter, spring showers might look a bit more extreme due to the impacts of climate change. The connection between health equity and climate change is significant, and low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by negative health and safety effects. During Earth Week, the NJDEP launched an online tool to better understand the increase in extreme precipitation events. This tool, along with state investments in nature-based solutions, will help decision-makers and the public better adapt to the impacts of climate change for the health of the environment and all New Jersey communities.

New Jersey Future has prepared Creating Great Places To Age: A Community Guide to Implementing Aging-Friendly Land Use Decisions to provide communities with a step-by-step process to make designing for the needs of older residents easier.

The New Jersey Stormwater Utility Resource Center is a one-stop shop housing technical, legal, and financial information, case studies, and helpful guidance on stormwater solutions, community process, and public engagement.

The Developers Green Infrastructure Guide 2.0 breaks down New Jersey’s Stormwater Rule amendments and helps developers and decision-makers more clearly understand green infrastructure options and advantages, compare alternatives, and evaluate costs and benefits.