New Jersey

Summary: The New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan aims to implement statewide planning objectives that encourage development in recognized city, town and village centers and a balance of conservation in rural areas to enhance the quality of life for residents. The plan is a cross-institutional effort to promote smart growth across the state, estimated to save as much as $2.3 billion in capital costs in the process, if fully implemented.  Unfortunately, implementation of the state planning effort has languished in recent years. As of August 2009, a required update to the State Plan was long overdue, the State Planning Commission was suffering from a lack of appointments and staff levels at the Office of Smart Growth continued to shrink.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) continues to run the New Jersey Future in Transportation (FIT) program in an effort to provide affordable and sustainable transportation solutions that break the sprawl cycle and integrate land use and transportation planning. The NJDOT also runs the Transit Village program which encourages transit-oriented development, and the Mobility and Community Form project, which helps communities plan future transportation and land use by preparing a Mobility and Community Form (MCF) Element that combines the circulation and land use elements of their master plans. 

IIn January 2008, New Jersey passed the “Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Act”, providing businesses that choose to locate in “urban transit hubs” – defined as the area in a one-half mile radius around rail stations -- with tax credits. This law was amended by the New Jersey Economic Stimulus Act of 2009, requiring businesses to invest at least $50,000,000 in a business or residential facility before it can earn tax credits that can be applied to corporate business taxes, insurance premiums tax or income tax earnings.

Links:

• NJ Department of Community Affairs, Smart Growth Web site
• Transit Village Program
• Mobility and Community Form Project
• New Jersey Future in Transportation (FIT) Program

Last Updated 08/31/2009

Back to Top