By Peter Kasabach and Sheena Collum
No matter where you hail from in the Garden State, we can all agree that New Jersey is a great place to live, raise a family or host your business. And yet we face a number of challenges that require thoughtful planning as we promote development that ensures our economic vitality and stability. Together, New Jersey Future and the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA New Jersey) are proud to host our annual Planning and Redevelopment Conference this June 5 to 7, 2024, and invite you to join!
This conference presents an opportunity for developers, realtors, mayors, city staffers, planning professionals and advocates to come together and explore the best and brightest ideas, policies and achievements that propel us forward. The New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference is a three-day event that will be held virtually on June 5 and 6 before concluding in person on June 7 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick. For those who have never attended, this conference is an opportunity to learn the latest trends, best practices, proven concepts and bold ideas in planning and promoting smart growth. For returning attendees, you know the value in renewing connections to the broad network of over 900 individuals and organizations that attend this event and push for sensible land use policies and equitable growth in New Jersey. Throughout the Planning and Redevelopment Conference, and especially with a networking social hour at the conclusion of our in-person day, attendees have the opportunity to connect with allied professionals, nonprofits, advocates, elected officials and more.
This year, our conference will include a highly anticipated NJ Votes 2025: Gubernatorial Candidates Roundtable midday on June 7. Leading candidates from both parties will share their positions on housing affordability, transportation and transit and climate change. Now is the time to elevate land use and planning issues that will define the strength of our communities and our state. Candidates will engage in a lively dialogue and make their case for a better New Jersey.
The New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference will feature 36 additional sessions with topics ranging from transit-oriented development and missing middle housing in New Jersey, to cultivating urban forests, third places and community-driven coalitions throughout our state.
A few sessions of note include:
- The Future of New Jersey: An Economic & Real Estate Forecast — Keynote speaker and economist Jeff Otteau will lead an insightful journey into the dynamic realm of New Jersey’s post-pandemic real estate landscape and economic trajectory. Delve into the latest trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the Garden State. From demographic shifts and market dynamics to policy impacts and investment opportunities, this keynote address offers a comprehensive exploration of what lies ahead.
- Housing: What’s Next in New Jersey — Municipal housing planning is shifting into high gear with the enactment of a new law governing the affordable housing process and as developers pursue homebuilding opportunities. Ensuring new homes are located and designed to create “great places to live” — connected to destinations, climate-safe, and stable — falls to local officials and planners, who must also build public support. How can state and local governments join forces to meet this challenge? A diverse panel will respond, offering specific initiatives and ideas for the future.
- Housing Breakthroughs from Across the Nation — Much of the country is experiencing a housing shortage, driving up rents and home prices, and prompting younger households to leave New Jersey in search of cheaper housing. Local development regulations are often the culprit, restricting the number and type of new units that can be built and denying entry to all but the wealthiest newcomers. Our panel will discuss strategies from around the country, including successes, that are aimed at removing planning, regulatory and legal barriers and producing a wider variety of housing options.
- We’re Missing Middle Housing in New Jersey: How to Fix It — The options available between single-family detached and mid- and high-rise housing in walkable communities are few and far between. Whether duplexes, triplex or fourplex attached housing, accessory dwelling units or cottage or courtyard attached housing, options are often limited due to local regulations. This session will explore the challenges and opportunities for planning and building “missing middle housing.”
- Economic Renaissance in NJ: The Power of Mixed-Use Development — Explore strategies to build wealth in distressed neighborhoods through mixed-use development. Discover the profound relationship between commercial/business districts and their impact on outlying neighborhoods, and gain insights into revitalizing underserved communities.
- Knowing the Numbers: Housing Allocation, Patterns of Development and the Future of Housing — Go deep into the numbers, who are we, what housing do we want or need and where do we want to live as measured by where housing is being built and in what forms. Learn how numbers drive affordable housing allocations, how they connect to housing needs, and the role they play in driving where housing gets built.
REGISTER TODAY and join the conversation at the 2024 NJ Planning and Redevelopment Conference.
Peter Kasabach is executive director of New Jersey Future. Sheena Collum is executive director of the American Planning Association New Jersey Chapter.
