A critique of New Jersey's housing policies lends historical perspective before taking an unexpected rhetorical turn.
Paul Mulshine writes an opinion piece on the subject of New Jersey's housing and land use policies, launching the narrative in 1973 with the help of a CBS proto-reality show called "We're Okey in Brick, N.J."
The appeal of fleeing the city to suburbs like Brick in 1973 is now obsolete, according to Mulshine. Suburbs are declining and migration patterns have reversed.
This all seems like the set up for an anti-sprawl argument, and it is, but the twist here relates to state-mandated affordable housing requirements. The popularity of urban living, according to Mulshine, "raises an obvious question about the state's insistence on imposing affordable housing quotas on the [suburban] towns: Why do the places where people don't want to go get hit with the highest housing quotas?"
Mulshine discusses a specific case study of a proposed development in Clinton Township that will build 793 units, including 445 affordable units, "in a rural setting near the beautiful Round Valley Reservoir" after a protracted legal battle. According to Mulshine, it's "as if our politicians are stuck in that reality show trying to recreate the planning practices that now have people fleeing from the suburbs instead of toward them."
FULL STORY: State's Housing policy is stuck in the Disco Era

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie