New Jersey's long-awaited "State Strategic Plan", which will serve as a master plan for land development throughout the state, and was due for final approval this week, will have to be rethought in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
Salvador Rizzo reports that just as it was about to go before the state's Planning Commission for final approval, after more than a year of development, Gov. Chris Christie's "State Strategic Plan" has been "sent back to the drawing board."
"At a news conference today," writes Rizzo, "Christie said the long-awaited plan,
which is intended to replace the guidelines established in 2001, would
take up to six more months to update and complete."
"It made sense for us to put it off and to reconsider it in light of
some of the new challenges that have been presented by the storm and the
aftermath of the storm," the governor said.
Although a revised version of the plan was released last weekend, it has already come in for criticism from Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "[He] and others have said Christie's plan would weaken measures to
protect land and clean water and loosen regulations for developers."
"The plan promotes development in the wrong places and does nothing
to protect people in the future from flooding, storm surges, sea level
rise, and other consequences of climate change," Tittel said. "We are
glad the plan was held today and hope significant changes are made."
FULL STORY: Hurricane Sandy causes N.J. to remake its master plan for land development
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
