TNJ Sustainability & Resilience Toolkit: Sustainability Solutions
Smart & Resilient Growth
Municipalities should carefully consider how the location and design of new development impacts the natural environment and human health. Many areas of the Together North Jersey region are characterized by sprawling development patterns that encourage auto-centric lifestyles, have extensive infrastructure needs, consume natural and agricultural lands and lead to excessive use of energy, water and other resources. In some parts of the region, development continues to occur in places increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including flooding, storm surge and sea level rise.
Smart growth strategies attempt to direct growth to places with existing infrastructure – such as sewer, roads and transit, bike and pedestrian facilities – and capacity to grow. Local smart growth plans, growth management policies, and land use ordinances create centered, compact, mixed-use, walkable communities with access to mass transit. This approach to development produces lower per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduces development pressure on unprotected agricultural and natural lands, and avoids costs to the public and private sector for laying down new infrastructure.
To achieve smart and resilient growth, municipalities prioritize redevelopment and revitalization of existing communities over greenfield development (building on land not previously developed), encourage development around transit facilities (transit-oriented development) and retrofit existing sprawl development to be compact, walkable and mixed-use. Greenfield development that does occur should make efficient use of land and minimize impacts to natural systems. Municipalities and counties should direct development away from hazard areas, including those expected to be impacted by flooding, storm surge and sea level rise and implement programs to retrofit existing development to minimize risk to lives, property and infrastructure.
Related TNJ Plan Focus Areas
Focus Area 5: Locate most new housing and commercial development in places with existing and planned infrastructure
Focus Area 6: Create vibrant places and neighborhoods that will attract and retain residents, workers and visitors
Focus Area 10: Enhance the resiliency of the region’s communities and infrastructure
Focus Area 14: Manage water systems to improve water quality and supply
Implementation Strategies
Plan for compact, contiguous growth
Plan for compact, contiguous growth
Use land use planning and implementation tools to direct development to areas near existing infrastructure.
Pursue infill, reuse and brownfield redevelopment
Pursue infill, reuse and brownfield redevelopment
Modify development regulations and resources to revitalize communities.
Direct growth away from hazard areas
Direct growth away from hazard areas
Use development regulations and capital planning to reduce vulnerability to hazards, including the future impacts of climate change.
Protect natural lands
Protect natural lands
Preserve and restore natural lands through buyouts, conservation easements, cluster subdivisions and private land stewardship.
Establish strong storm water standards
Establish strong storm water standards
Update plans to include New Jersey’s Storm Water Management Rules.