March 30, 2022
Dear Friends,
Today New Jersey Future is honored to celebrate its Water Data Prize award in the Equity category alongside Jersey Water Works. The national award was announced by the Environmental Policy Innovation Center last week and recognizes the development of the New Jersey Water Risk and Equity Map and Jersey WaterCheck, two tools that promote transparency and equity in water infrastructure investments. Water infrastructure—from drinking water to wastewater and stormwater—is the lifeblood of our society but is too often overlooked. These tools will help change that.

Opportunities to pursue more equitable outcomes are not confined to the pipes beneath our homes, however. The streets by which we commute to work, bring our children to school, and return home to our families are another crucial avenue for the pursuit of inclusion, fairness, and economic and environmental sustainability. Walking and biking are critical means for addressing these issues. We have a responsibility as community members and neighbors to promote pedestrian and bicycle use and safety and to ask ourselves for whom streets exist. 

Racial, socioeconomic, and gender equity are topics that are becoming increasingly important in transportation discussions across the state. The 2022 New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference, a three-day event, will be held virtually on June 14-15 and in person on June 16. The conference will specifically delve into the issue of transportation equity in a session entitled “Beyond Getting from A to B: Ensuring Safer and Fairer Ways to Move Around.” Register for the entire conference today!

Peter Kasabach
Executive Director
The changing nature of shopping means people are more likely to have things delivered to them. At the same time, people increasingly want to live in mixed-use neighborhoods where they can walk to local destinations. How should we be thinking about the safety of pedestrians and other non-motorized travelers in an era of increasing truck traffic? 
After receiving 50+ applications from across the country, last week the Environmental Policy Innovation Center announced the six winners of the Water Data Prize. Jersey Water Works and New Jersey Future won the award’s Equity category for their development of the New Jersey Water Risk and Equity Map and Jersey WaterCheck.

Join us virtually on June 14-15 and in person at the Hyatt in New Brunswick on June 16. New Jersey is at a turning point, and the only way we can propel our state towards a more sustainable, resilient, and prosperous future is together! Join hundreds of visionary New Jersey professionals, elected officials, and community activists as we restart, recover, and reimagine land use in a rapidly changing environment. Sponsorships are available.
Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers Stormwater Stories
The Sewage-Free Streets and Rivers (SFSR) campaign empowers community organizations to engage residents and small businesses to shape solutions to combined sewer overflows. Flooding in New Jersey is on the rise. If you live in one of the 21 municipalities with a combined sewer system, when it floods a combination of sewage and stormwater overflows into local waterways and far too often backs up into streets and homes. This is a public health crisis that needs immediate attention. If you live in Newark, Jersey City, Camden, or one of the other cities with a combined sewer system, the SFSR campaign and its partners want to share your Stormwater Story.
Watch these video clips of Paterson residents sharing their Stormwater Stories.
Martha Arencibia
Yolanda Mateo
Mary Crooms
William Priestly
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.
Legislative Updates
  • A3712 - Introduced by Assemblyman Gary Schaer (36th Legislative District), the bill mandates drinking water analysis and disclosure of lead contamination in residential rental properties. Additionally, the legislation prohibits landlords from obstructing lead service line replacements.
Coming Up
  • April 14 - New Jersey Future Managing Director of Policy and Water Chris Sturm and Policy Director Diane Schrauth will be speaking at the Tap Into Resilience Summit, which will be held by WaterNow Alliance on April 13-14. Sturm will be moderating the "Lead"-ing the Way To A Cleaner Water Future: The New Commitment to Getting Lead Out Of Drinking Water session, while Schrauth will be speaking at the Water Resilience for Small Communities session. Register here.
  • May 24 - New Jersey Future Executive Director Pete Kasabach will be speaking at the 2022 Waterfront Conference during a session entitled “New Jersey’s National Leadership in Climate Resilience Planning: What Are the Next Steps and What Resources Are Needed?” Register here.
Smart Growth for Everyone
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.

New Jersey Future staff were grateful for the opportunity to attend the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's “Reimagined in America: Advancing Gender Equity” webinar. Chimaraoke Izugbara of the International Center for Research on Women spoke about how U.S. communities can learn from places abroad to craft gender equity policies that improve health and well-being for all. Erin Bromaghim of the Los Angeles Mayor's Office highlighted data collection as a key tool for cities seeking to incorporate a gender lens into their work. Considering gender equity and inclusion in planning and policy is vital for creating healthy environments for everyone. Check out the recording and the other webinars within the Reimagined in America series. 
Come Work with Us
  • Policy and Program Coordinator - New Jersey Future seeks a skilled, organized, and motivated individual to manage the day-to-day operations of NJF’s Mainstreaming Green Infrastructure (MGI) Program. This position addresses climate change and equity through more innovative methods that manage stormwater, make our communities greener, and emphasize the use of natural systems.
  • Community Planning Associate - New Jersey Future is seeking a highly organized, motivated individual to join our planning team as we expand our strategic assistance program to foster vibrant downtowns and livable communities for everyone.
New Jersey Future in the News
Featured Resources

A new report issued by Jersey Water Works provides a blueprint for how to improve water testing, child care staff training, remediation, and outreach to parents, as well as a rationale for state assistance. 

We are proud to partner with New Jersey's leading environmental and social justice organizations to promote this Green in '21 policy guide.

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.
Social Media Highlight
Founded in 1987, New Jersey Future is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes sensible and equitable growth, redevelopment, and infrastructure investments to foster healthy, strong, resilient communities; protect natural lands and waterways; increase transportation choices beyond cars; provide access to safe, affordable, and aging-friendly neighborhoods; and fuel a strong economy for everyone. New Jersey Future does this through original research, innovative policy development, coalition-building, advocacy, and hands-on strategic assistance. Embracing differences and advancing fairness is central to New Jersey Future’s mission and operations. New Jersey Future is firmly committed to pursuing greater justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through its programs, internal operations, and external communications.