In the face of a recent report showing that sprawl was rapidly eating up developable land in New Jersey, developers have begun to ditch the McMansion in favor of taller and more dense projects.
More and more builders are changing their strategies in favor of smaller projects, and a rising number of developers are conceding that McMansions probably aren't the best future for the state.
"'You have to build not simply for the market we've experienced in the past, but for where the country is headed. Energy prices could soar. The price of the little remaining open space is unattainable,' Robert G. Torricelli, a former senator who now has a development company, said in a telephone interview.
'What will trigger denser development is that there's no space left, and what is left no one can build on,' said David Henderson, a principal at HHG Development Associates, a Trenton company that focuses on sustainable building practices. According to the Rowan and Rutgers report, New Jersey is poised to become the first state to develop every acre of unprotected land, a milestone researchers predict will happen 'sometime within the middle of the century.' But whatever the imperative, a number of untraditional projects seem to be finding acceptance with home buyers. "
FULL STORY: Builders Move Beyond McMansions in New Jersey

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.

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.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie