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April 16, 2025
Dear Friends,
Throughout April, we are reminded of our collective responsibility to the environment and the communities we call home. Earth Day serves as an important reminder that the health of our planet is directly tied to the well-being of our neighborhoods, our economy, and our future. At New Jersey Future, we remain committed to policies and initiatives that ensure a more resilient and thriving Garden State.
This month, we are proud to highlight our partner initiative, Lifelong Strong, which is designed to bring attention to age-friendly communities to be more inclusive, adaptable, and accessible for all generations especially older adults.
Additionally, we celebrate the launch of Reconnecting Trenton's Riverfront, an essential step toward restoring access to one of the city’s most treasured natural assets. These efforts align with our mission of fostering sustainable, equitable growth while ensuring that our environment is protected for future generations.
As the gubernatorial race continues to take shape, we will be closely monitoring where candidates stand on critical issues such as climate resilience, infrastructure investment, affordable housing, active transportation, and inclusive communities. Leadership at the state level plays a crucial role in shaping policies that impact our communities, and we encourage you to stay engaged, informed, and active in advocating for smart growth solutions.
Earth Day is not just a celebration—it is a call to action. Let’s recommit to making New Jersey a cleaner, healthier, and more vibrant place to live. Whether through advocating for better environmental policies, participating in local cleanups, driving a few miles less, or making small everyday choices that reduce our footprint, each of us has a role to play.
Together, we can make a lasting impact—not just for New Jersey, but for all communities striving to build a better future.
Effective communication and community outreach are critical aspects of a successful Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) program. In this blog, we highlight key strategies and best practices for communication and outreach that can improve participation rates and build customer trust.
We’re excited to officially launch Reconnecting Trenton’s Riverfront — a transformative campaign to turn Route 29 into a vibrant, inclusive boulevard that reconnects the city to its riverfront. Route 29 currently acts as a barrier, cutting off the city from its beautiful riverfront. A reconnected Trenton will provide possibilities for enhanced recreation, open spaces and mobility, stronger communities, and a more prosperous downtown.
This project is an essential step towards building a more sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant city. With the support of our partners and local leaders, we have the opportunity to transform Route 29 into a space that puts people first, enhances our environment, and drives positive change for the entire region.
Let’s make it happen! Get involved:
Show your support: Follow @ReconnectingTrentonsRiverfront on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and share on social media using #ReconnectingTrenton
Spread the word: Talk to your friends, family, and colleagues about the project and why it matters
Visit our brand-new website to learn more about the project and how you can get involved, like signing the petition and staying tuned for upcoming community meetings
New Jersey Future and the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association are proud to present the annual three-day New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment conference convening virtually on June 11–12 and in person at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick on June 13.
Registration is now open! Registration includes a full-access pass to all conference programming, including 37 sessions, a virtual and in-person exhibit floor, and networking with fellow attendees, speakers, and sponsors. An on-demand video library, in addition to session files and resources, will be available to all conference attendees for three months following the conference.
Transportation features, such as bike lanes, sidewalks, and trails, make communities safer, healthier, and more affordable to get around, especially for vulnerable road users like older adults and people with disabilities. They provide the ability for commuters to seamlessly walk to the bus stop or train station to get to work, children to safely ride their bikes to school, and people of all ages and abilities to confidently enjoy a stroll to the park or store.
As a new administration in Washington re-directs federal funding away from bicycle infrastructure, public transit, and vehicle electrification, the stakes for New Jersey’s transportation network could not be higher. Join us to hear from New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates as they discuss transportation issues regarding accessibility, connectivity, and safety. How will those who would lead our state respond to this unprecedented moment?
Save the date! April 30, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. Stay tuned for more details and registration.
Great Homes and Neighborhoods for All
Great Homes and Neighborhoods for All (GHNA) is a pro-housing initiative that launched this past fall to tackle New Jersey’s housing and neighborhood challenges. The work of the GHNA initiative is guided by the following principles:
Great Homes and Neighborhoods for All believes that everyone in New Jersey deserves an affordable place to live in a safe, vibrant community. Organizations and individuals can support this comprehensive approach to achieve great homes and neighborhoods for all in NJ by signing on to endorse the initiative’s guiding principles.
Partnering for an Age-Friendly New Jersey
New Jersey Future is excited to announce its participation in Lifelong Strong New Jersey—an advocacy campaign to ensure New Jerseyans can thrive in the Garden State as we age. We are working to prioritize aging in this year's gubernatorial race by highlighting the needs and impact of an aging NJ; and by advocating for policies and programs to make age-friendly built environments easier to achieve. Aging is one of the few things we all have in common, and an environment that's good for older adults is good for everyone. As demographics rapidly change, we ask that the next Governor recognize our increasingly older population and include aging as an important consideration in all policy discussions so that New Jersey can become an even better place to age well.
Visit LifelongStrongNJ.org for news, updates, blogs, and to sign up for their newsletter; follow the campaign on LinkedIn; and sign our pledge to help create a future where New Jersey is a great place for all residents as we age.
Legislative Updates
At New Jersey Future, we strive to promote communities where everyone, including older adults and those with disabilities, can safely walk and bike to destinations. Unfortunately, New Jersey has the nation’s highest rate of pedestrian fatalities, with 30% of all traffic fatalities involving pedestrians, according to a new study of data from 2017-2021. The state’s existing approach to safety, which focuses on individual behavior through education and enforcement, has failed. It's time for a paradigm shift, one that aligns with best practices and federal guidance. That’s why we submitted comments to the New Jersey Target Zero Commission with recommendations to make sure streets are designed with the safety of pedestrians in mind.
New Jersey Future was at the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee meeting on March 17 to testify in support of state-level reforms that would facilitate home production and housing choice.
S1408 would allow for the conversion of vacant or underutilized commercial properties into mixed-use developments, including affordable housing;
S2974 would reduce the number of parking spaces required for residential development near public transportation, which would reduce car dependency and allow for more housing construction; and
S4037 would establish an enhanced “Transit Village Program” that incentivizes mixed-use development near public transportation. The New Jersey Monitor covered the committee meeting and included a quote from Chris Sturm, policy director for land use, who stated that the grants proposed through the Transit Village Program would provide local officials with the resources needed to plan for vibrant, walkable districts around their stations. The grants are “what can make this work for towns because they can create transit districts they can be proud of.”
Coming Up
May 8: Be sure to stop by our tables on May 8 as we host, for the first time, New Jersey Future Day at the State House. This will be a great opportunity for you to learn about us and for us to hear how you see New Jersey's future and how we can build it together.
May 22: Two New Jersey Future leaders, Sabrina Rodriguez-Vicenty and Ben Dziobek, will lead a Trenton Walks! to the other side of Route 29, enabling participants to stand next to the river and imagine what a new highway configuration might mean for those who want to bike, walk, fish, or recreate in some other way in a new park next to the Delaware River. Find more information on joining the walk here.
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.
The Power of Presence: New Jersey Future at the African American Chamber of Commerce 2025 Economic Summit by Valerie Merritt, communications and press manager (pictured with John Harmon, founder and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce NJ)
Last month, I had the privilege of attending the African American Chamber of Commerce 2025 Economic Summit, a pivotal gathering focused on advancing economic empowerment and equity for Black businesses in New Jersey. This summit served as a dynamic platform for business leaders, policymakers, and advocates to collaborate on strategies that drive sustainable growth, entrepreneurship, and generational wealth.
The event underscored the vital role Black-owned businesses play in the state’s economy and the necessity of policies that foster equitable opportunities. Engaging discussions highlighted solutions for overcoming systemic barriers, enhancing access to capital, and ensuring that infrastructure and workforce investments benefit historically marginalized communities.
A key moment of the summit was a panel discussion with New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates, each presenting their vision for a thriving, resilient New Jersey. Their presence reaffirmed the significance of the Black business community in shaping the state's future and emphasized the importance of inclusive economic policies.
Being in the room at the Economic Summit was not just about showing support—it was about listening, learning, and reinforcing our commitment to policies that make a difference.
As we continue our work, we recognize that collaboration and collective action are essential in driving meaningful change. The conversations and connections made at this summit reinforce the power of partnerships in advancing a future where every community, regardless of race or background, thrives. We look forward to furthering these discussions and working alongside stakeholders to build a stronger, more inclusive New Jersey for all.
Come Work With Us
Jersey WaterCheck Intern New Jersey Future is looking for a highly organized, motivated individual to work on a comprehensive data update for Jersey WaterCheck, Jersey Water Works data dashboard. The intern will be required to verify existing data, gather relevant new data on New Jersey’s water and wastewater systems, and compile it into a spreadsheet, as well as issue a survey to utilities and towns and conduct survey follow-ups.
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.
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.
New Jersey Developers Green Infrastructure Guide 2.0 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.
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.
