2016 Regional Planning Summit: Repurpose, Reuse, Revitalize

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New Jersey led the nation in developing isolated, single use office parks, today, New Jersey is experiencing an exodus of corporate employers, leaving behind large underutilized office buildings and retail centers and the land on which they sit. While these sites currently are a drain on the economy, they also represent an enormous opportunity to redevelop and redesign the suburbs to be more dynamic, connected, and sustainable. If repurposed correctly, New Jersey could lead the nation in how suburbs can be redesigned to be more efficient. The Regional Planning Summit: Repurpose, Reuse, Revitalize will highlight opportunities and success stories on how stranded real estate assets can be turned into dynamic communities.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn from the experiences of leaders in the innovative reuse of failing properties!

Keynote Speaker:  Greg Lindsay, Globalization, Innovation, and the Future of the Suburbs

Greg Lindsay is a journalist, urbanist, futurist, and speaker. He focuses on the intersection of transportation, urbanization, and globalization, and his writing has appeared in numerous outlets, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. His book, Aerotropolis: The Way We’ll Live Next, discusses the future of how we will live and do business. He brings a unique perspective to the table about how globalization, innovation, and the future of cities will affect our everyday built environments in the years to come.

Panel topics to include:

Why Stranded Assets Are So Important
Millions of dollars of infrastructure investments have been made in New Jersey’s suburban office parks and retail centers, many of which sit underutilized and have become a drain on the economy. A range of officials, planners, and developers must work together to revitalize these sites so they flourish economically and environmentally.

The Stranded Assets Problem; How Big is it?
PlanSmart NJ has conducted an extensive statewide analysis of vacancies in office parks and retail centers. The findings will be presented and set the stage for a call to action to repurpose struggling assets.

It Is All About Financing
Vacant and underutilized properties can have quite an impact on municipal budgets. Repurposing can be costly but PILOTs can provide incentives to developers to repurpose and plug holes in municipal budgets.

Coordination and Leadership: Success Stories
Success doesn’t just happen. It takes persistence, cooperation and leadership to bring all players to the table and agree on a shared vision.

Achieving Multiple Goals through Innovation
Reimagining how a site may be reused is also an opportunity to think about how the site may function and achieve multiple goals. By building upon existing infrastructure and incorporating innovations in energy and green infrastructure these properties can be utilized to enhance sustainable goals and increase efficiency, while meeting affordable housing needs.

Supporting Vibrant Communities across the State
What makes the state economy flourish? Vibrant communities that not only attract businesses and residents, but also maintain them for the long-term. Meeting this goal takes a comprehensive statewide approach with local support. This panel will discuss numerous state-level recommendations that will help promote the success of New Jersey’s suburbs, such as reinvigorating the State Plan, marketing regional assets, addressing regulatory barriers and promoting workforce development.

Preliminary Recommendations and Next Steps: Ann Brady, PlanSmart NJ

We have applied to provide:
AICP CM Credits
CLE Credits
RMC and CPWM Municipal Credits