As the state authority responsible for the regional planning and zoning of the Hackensack Meadowlands District, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority recently proposed the "Draft Hackensack Meadowlands District Master Plan Update 2020."
The Jersey Journal Editorial Board has published an editorial in response to the current draft of the 2020 Hackensack Meadowlands District Master Plan [pdf], the subject of a recent public hearing.
The editorial calls on the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to listen careful to the concerns of the public regarding the plan, specifically regarding the environmental risk that a plan could introduce to the area, so soon after the ecologically sensitive area has been nursed back to health in recent decades.
With that environmental sensitivity in mind, the editorial argues that the current plan is too vague to protect the environmental assets found in the Meadowlands. Then there are the things the plan leaves out entirely:
MetLife Stadium and the American Dream complex, while physically at the heart of the district, are not guided by the master plan, a dangerous component that the Legislature and governor’s office should look to rectify.
In fact, the creation of the American Dream has removed 556 acres of previously designated “recreational land’’ in the master plan, and while the draft notes this, it doesn’t say if other recreational land will be designated to make up for it.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority held a public hearing on the draft plan on Tuesday, September 10 in Lyndhurst. Among those in attendance was Rob Freudenberg, vice president for energy and environment at the Regional Plan Association, who published his comments from the hearing.
FULL STORY: Meadowlands too precious to leave to vague guidelines
Long-Delayed $5 Billion American Dream Mall Opens
It took 17 years and no small amount of public ridicule as it sat dormant in the New Jersey meadowlands, but a small portion of the American Dream mall is now open to the public.
Funding Approved for Key Rail Connection Between New Jersey and New York
The Portal Bridge is a key component of the larger Gateway Program that includes tunnels under the Hudson River. Fixing the Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River will provide tremendous relief to NJ Transit and Amtrak commuters.
American Dream Mall, Delayed Due to Coronavirus, Will Open Testing Facility
Delays have been part of the story with the American Dream mall in New Jersey since its earliest inception, and the mall has been lauded in the past for evolving to match the American retail landscape.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions