Descriptions & Districts

Northeast Area –
Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic & Union Counties

Message from our Northeast Area Rep:
Alex Dambach, PP, AICP

Northeast New Jersey is a major urban center with a total population of more than 3.3 million. It contains the headquarters of some of the world’s largest corporations, the Port of Newark and Elizabeth, Newark Liberty International Airport, and several smaller airports. Land uses range from heavy industrial areas and intensely developed urban centers to pristine mountain forests and watershed areas.

The mixture of inner-ring suburbs, major cities, and lush woodlands creates an environment with something for every type of planner to feel challenged and fulfilled. There are many efficiently developed areas that embody the principles of “smart growth,” such as Hoboken, Union City, East Orange, and Montclair, and there are suburban communities with major retail malls and office campuses. The region also includes major infrastructure features such as the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, Penn Station and the Secaucus Junction, the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, the Prudential Center and Giants Stadium, and shipping and distribution centers around the ports and airports.

One of the most remarkable features of Northeast New Jersey is the population’s inclusiveness and diversity. Nearly every major world language is spoken here. The language of the sidewalks is Tagalog in Bergenfield, Portuguese in The Ironbound, Hindu in Journal Square, and Arabic in South Paterson. A person from anywhere in the world will probably find their native language, food, and customs on display somewhere in Northeast New Jersey. Accessing these areas is also relatively easy with multiple commuter rail stations, three light rail lines, and rapid transit, heavy rail, and ferry service connecting the region to Manhattan.

For planners, this area offers exciting opportunities. Working with limited land area, multiple cultures, intense infrastructure, and vast extremes in wealth means planning requires great creativity and sensitivity. Challenges such as suburban sprawl, geographic concentrations of poverty, threats to watersheds, areas of high crime, transportation congestion, and challenging economic times requires collaborative work among the region’s planners. The sharing of smart ideas, the advocating for good national and statewide policies, and the creation of ample opportunities for planners to boost their skills are key ways that APA-NJ’s Northeast Regional Representative can help planners make a positive difference in the quality of life for this great region. The representative also seeks to create more networking opportunities and events that help to build professional relationships necessary for career advancement.

Please contact me at if you have any questions or want to get more involved with in providing opportunities in our region.

Northwest –
Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Sussex and Warren Counties

Message from your Northwest Area Rep:
Eric Snyder, PP, AICP

The northwest region of offers a wide range of living, working and playing opportunities. Ranging from Morristown and Somerville as urban regional centers to hamlets like Beemerville and Townsbury in Sussex and Warren Counties, one may chose from a menu that is both wide and deep. We have farmlands, parks and forests, trails to hike, bike, run and ride, pristine lakes and streams to fish, swim and paddle along with the mighty Delaware along the western border of the region. We have business and industry and the most heavily traveled interstate highway in the country along with many lesser interstate and state highways. We have art and culture and are a hop, skip and a jump from two of the greatest cities in the world, New York and Philadelphia. From a wide range of options naturally comes a wide range of planning issues that must be addressed by business and government together.

The past few years have not been kind to the region. The economy and a faltering state planning framework have left us in the planning profession trying to hold our ground. As the federal and state governments have reduced their roles in addressing comprehensively the need for and the impact of development it has become necessary for counties and municipalities to deal with statewide and interstate issues like transportation, housing and recreation. With the depth of talent and experience in this region, I would like to work with the membership of the Northwest Region to expand the level of citizen understanding regarding certain actions and the costs of inaction.

Please contact me with your suggestions for ways we can be more effective as professionals and educators.

Central –
Mercer, Middlesex & Monmouth Counties

Message from your Central Area Rep:
Paul Gleitz, PP, AICP

Stretching from the Capital to the Jersey Shore, Central Jersey is in many ways the heart of New Jersey and a microcosm of the entire State. Planners who practice in the area work in rural villages and urban cities, requiring knowledge of farmland preservation techniques and redevelopment law. The region is in the midst of a major military base decommissioning, the location of major court battles over the meaning of redevelopment, part of the discussion concerning the future of UEZ programs, and one of the areas trying to balance public access to the beaches with municipal priorities and local control.

As your Central Area Representative, I will do my best to bring this perspective to the discussions at the Executive Committee. As a planner in private practice, I will also try and bring the business and customer service side of our work into our discussions and conference agendas. I have been working on developing a workshop at Fort Monmouth focused on many planning issues related to a major military base decommissioning. I hope to have this program available soon.

Please feel free to contact me with any ideas for programs or concerns about the presence of APA-NJ in our area. I look forward to hearing from you and working to provide access to the expertise and experience available to us in the region.

Southern –
Ocean, Burlington, Camden & Gloucester Counties

Message from your Southern Area Rep:
Leah Furey Bruder

From the first generation suburbs on the eastern shores of the Delaware River, to the fertile farm belt, to the barrier islands, Southern New Jersey is compact yet diverse. The character of South Jersey varies from urban to rural and everything in between. Planners in this region have opportunities to shape the development and redevelopment of vibrant communities, but also face a multitude of challenges at many levels. These challenges are compounded by today’s economic realities. Redevelopment and revitalization of “greyfields” and commercial corridors, preservation, and promotion of agriculture, economic development, and growth management are relevant issues throughout our region.

How do we continue to be proactive and effective when planning is sometimes viewed as frivolous or when there is aversion to risk taking of any kind? As planners we use our knowledge and technical skills to guide policy and design, but just as importantly we must have the ability to communicate the value of planning to diverse audiences, and we must facilitate dialogue between stakeholders with varied and sometimes competing interests. Though budgets are tight and we await an economic rebound, planning is as important as ever and we have a critical role to play in ensuring that opportunities are not lost.

As the Southern Area Representative, I would like to hear your ideas about how we can work together to improve planning outcomes in our area and would like to hear your suggestions for programs in our region. Additionally, I am happy to bring your concerns to the APA-NJ Executive Committee.

Please feel free to contact me, Leah Furey Bruder, at . I look forward to hearing from you and working with you.

Southern Shore –
Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem

Need info for this district.