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July 21, 2025
Dear Friends,
As we move through the heart of summer, I hope you are finding time to pause and recharge, even as we collectively continue the important work of building a more equitable and sustainable New Jersey. The summer season serves as a good reminder that balance is essential, both in our professional efforts and in taking time to reflect, reconnect with family and friends, and enjoy the longer days.
In this edition of our newsletter, you’ll find timely updates on several fronts, including legislative progress on lead disclosure, the restoration of NJ Civic Consortium funding, and recent insights into the impact of transportation and green infrastructure funding. We also highlight Disability Pride Month with an equity focus on how disability planning is now being integrated into Complete Streets policies, a first in the national reporting.
Additionally, we are pleased to share resources such as the latest policy roadmap for redevelopment in New Jersey, the Enhanced Model Municipal Stormwater Management Plan, and upcoming opportunities to engage with us at events like the Trenton Stream Cleanup on August 1; the Future of the Environment and Transportation hosted by The Fund for New Jersey on August 20, and our annual Smart Growth Awards coming up on October 9. Registration for SGA will be opening soon, so stay tuned.
This month, we also take a moment to celebrate the retirement of our long-serving colleague, Chris Sturm, whose leadership over the past 23 years has left a lasting mark on our organization and the state—from promoting equitable water infrastructure to championing great places to live. We invite you to read the full interview with Chris on her final day and join us in wishing her a fond farewell and all the best in her retirement.
As always, we thank you for your continued partnership and commitment. Wishing you a productive and safe summer—with time reserved for rest and renewal.
Ever feel like your phone has been spying on you? Maybe you were talking to friends about a potential vacation destination, for example, and then you start seeing ads in your social media feed about the place you were just talking about. Your phone probably was listening to you, and key bits of your conversation found their way into a profiling database maintained by a market research firm. But what if it were the United States government assembling your data and profiling you? Why might they want to do this? Read morefrom NJF Director of Research, Tim Evans (pictured right).
As New Jersey faces a growing housing crisis, it’s becoming increasingly clear that water infrastructure is more than just a utility concern; it’s a fundamental barrier to equitable development and housing growth. In an effort to provide more affordable housing options, developers are eager to build, but are held back by outdated or inadequate water and sewer systems. Read more.
Despite New Jersey facing growing flood risks, the federal government is now targeting low-cost solutions like green infrastructure for funding cuts to reduce spending. The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) previously provided federal funding for projects that incorporated green infrastructure, but staff with the Urban Institute shared a leaked memo revealing new priorities. Read more.
We're excited to unveil Redeveloping New Jersey, Planning for Prosperity—a bold, data-driven roadmap to build a more resilient, inclusive, and thriving New Jersey. With actionable strategies to expand housing access, modernize infrastructure, grow the economy, and combat climate change, this is your call to shape the future of our state.
Smart Growth America’s new Best Complete Streets Policies 2025 report celebrates the strongest Complete Streets policies adopted in the past two years. New Jersey communities are setting the pace nationwide for safer, more equitable, and climate-resilient streets. The report, which evaluates Complete Streets policies adopted in 2023 and 2024, names Asbury Park and Red Bank among the Top 10 policies nationwide, and highlights New Jersey as the state with the most local policies recognized (13 total).
See all the best examplesfrom communities across the country that are showing what’s possible when cities commit to creating policies for safer, more connected streets. View the full report here.
As we bid a fond farewell to Chris Sturm, policy director and longtime advocate at New Jersey Future, we celebrate a legacy of leadership rooted in passion, persistence, and purpose. Chris has been a driving force behind some of New Jersey Future’s most successful initiatives—from promoting equitable water infrastructure to championing great places to live.
On her final day, Chris sat down with Valerie Merritt, NJF's communications and press manager, to reflect on what she’s most proud of, what she’s learned, and what she hopes for the future. Below are excerpts from the conversation.
🌟 A Legacy of Meaningful Work
Q: As you reflect on your 23 years at New Jersey Future, what accomplishments stand out most for you?
I’m especially proud of three things. The first, participating in the founding of Jersey Water Works (JWW). It became a vibrant space where people truly connected around water infrastructure—something most people don’t think about until it fails. We created high-energy collaborations that bring much-needed attention and problem-solving to safe drinking water and healthy waterways.
Second, collaborating with amazing leaders to help craft and pass one of the nation’s strongest laws to replace lead service lines in every New Jersey home. Others are now working hard on implementation so every child can grow up free from lead poisoning.
More recently, I’ve helped build New Jersey Future’s capacity to tackle housing and neighborhood issues. Expensive legacy structures like home rule make this challenging, but today, we are positioned to lead through the Great Homes and Neighborhoods for All collaborative—and help people not just live somewhere, but love where they live.
Throughout this work, wonderful people have said “yes ” to providing funding, joining the NJF team, and working in partnership.
Governor Murphy signed A4765/S4146! New Jersey Future deeply appreciates Governor Murphy’s leadership in signing the Target Zero Commission Bill into law. This important step brings us closer to creating safer, more inclusive communities—where every New Jerseyan, including older adults and people with disabilities, can walk and bike through their neighborhoods with confidence, dignity, and peace of mind.
Bill passed! The New Jersey Senate has passed A2929/S1034. New Jersey families—especially renters—are at risk from lead-contaminated water. Now this bill will expand disclosure of lead service lines and provide free water testing to protect our communities. This is a monumental step towards protecting the health of our children, our neighbors, and our future.
While attacks continue on the media federally, we can take a moment to applaud a big win for local news in New Jersey. The New Jersey Civic Information Consortium has been included in the final FY26 state budget with $2.5 million to support civic information, local news, and community storytelling across the state. This incredible win is thanks to you — the advocates, community members, students, journalists, legislators, and supporters who raised your voices when it mattered most.
Coming Up
August 1: Join us in Trenton as we volunteer with The Watershed Institute to help remove trash from areas around local streams. Cleanup events are a great way to get outside, work together to keep our waterways clean, and improve wildlife habitat.Learn more.
August 20: The Fund for New Jersey will bring together policy experts, including NJF Executive Director Pete Kasabach, to Cathedral Kitchen in Camden for an important conversation on climate, transportation, and environmental justice. The discussion will explore how today’s challenges can be addressed through thoughtful policy and community-driven action.Register today!
October 9: Save the date! The 2025 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Awards will be hosted at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination! Stay tuned for an announcement of the award winners and registration details.
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.
Recognizing Disability Pride through Complete Streets by Zeke Weston, policy coordinator, New Jersey Future
Safety for all road users is always a priority for New Jersey Future. However, as July is Disability Pride Month, it is crucial to highlight that pedestrians with disabilities are disproportionately at risk when it comes to street safety. As one of the largest minority groups in the United States, at almost 29% of the population, people with disabilities are still underserved, especially when it comes to pedestrian safety. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides guidelines for protections for individuals with impairments, disabled pedestrians in wheelchairs are still about 36% more likely to be killed in a road accident than the general population.
New Jersey took a significant step to address this inequity in January 2023, when Governor Phil Murphy signed S147 into law, directing the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to update itsComplete Streets policyto include design practices for neurodivergent people, including those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Because only a very small population of neurodivergent people drives cars, an improved network of walking and biking infrastructure would provide the safe and accessible transportation facilities needed to foster independent mobility. This policy update helps achieve just that.
New Jersey’s leadership in addressing the street safety needs of the neurodivergent community has not gone unnoticed. A newly released Best Complete Streets Policies 2025 report from Smart Growth America (SGA), which evaluates Complete Streets policies adopted in 2023 and 2024, names Asbury Park and Red Bank among the Top 10 policies nationwide, and highlights New Jersey as the state with the most local policies recognized (13 total). However, the Garden State’s recognition did not end there. NJDOT’s recently updated policy earned the state an entire chapter dedicated to what’s working—and where there’s room to grow—when it comes to advancing Complete Streets strategies that prioritize all users, regardless of age, ability, income, or mode of transportation.
Launched in 2023, the Emerging Water Leaders of Color Leadership Circle resulted from collaboration among key partners, including New Jersey Future, Jersey Water Works, Spring Point Partners, and AGN Global LLC. Check out the video that features three emerging professionals who participated in the program and celebrates the crucial work of Jersey Water Works, a collaborative addressing New Jersey's critical water infrastructure and stormwater management challenges.
NJF, The Watershed Institute, and WSP partnered to provide municipalities with updated guidance suited for today’s climate threats. The Enhanced Plan modernizes NJDEP’s 2004 model plan and reflects the latest regulatory updates, including compliance with pending updates to the Stormwater Rule through NJDEP’s Resilient Environments and Landscapes (REAL) rules. Check out the webinar recording to learn more.
NJF partnered with Princeton Hydro to create a New Jersey Stormwater Retrofit Best Management Practices Guide. This guide provides municipalities, counties, nonprofit organizations, developers, and property owners the tools to identify opportunities to retrofit existing stormwater BMPs and install new stormwater BMPs in built-out environments.
Guide to Local Climate Change Adaptation Planning Working with the NJDEP, Sustainable Jersey, and statewide partners, NJF led development of the Guide to Local Climate Change Adaptation Planning, providing a model Climate Change-Related Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (CCRHVA) and planning process for New Jersey Municipalities that satisfies the requirements of the 2021 MLUL amendment.
New Jersey Future is a member of The Circuit Trails Coalition and collaborated on the new report, Moving the Circuit Forward. This is a plan to get us where we need to go—making it safer and easier for people to move in their communities at a human speed. Connecting with each other. Connecting with nature. And connecting to the places they need to go.
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.
