Our planning careers are pivoted on building communities, both physically and socially. But what about building literary communities? The premise of the CPBC is simple. Every three months, APA-NJ and APA-NYM will choose a different book for membership to read. Our current selection is Crabgrass Frontiers: The Suburbanization of the United States. On the third month of these quarterly cycles, the chapters will organize an in-person meet-up to discuss the featured book at length. Between the time of introduction and meeting-up, CPBC members are encouraged to participate in an online forum to share their ideas in real-time. Our September 2012 meet-up will be held in Jersey City's The Merchant Bar and Restaurant from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

This webinar will provide attendees the latest national and state data on housing and transportation relevant to an aging population. Hear how disability rates, family structures, foreclosure rates, and the age of homes have shifted in the decade, as older households adapt to face new and continuing challenges. Learn what’s being done to address issues of affordability. Understand the latest travel patterns of those 65+ as observed in the 2009 National Household Travel Survey. Hear what public and private sector strategies AARP’s planning experts recommend for the creation of lifelong communities. During the webinar, presenters will show their new 6.5 minute video entitled, “Active Living for All Ages: Creating Communities Around Transit,” and discuss how the voices of older adults living in Arlington, VA’s TOD neighborhoods can help win the argument for walkable, mixed-use communities.

Montclair Center is a vital and evolving downtown, where urban planners have implemented projects for over a century.  Join us for a narrated walking tour that will discuss the historic architecture of Montclair Center and a projects past, present and future.

TOD is much more than proximity to transit – good urban design is essential to true TOD.  This panel will address the key design concepts that distinguish TOD, as well as planning considerations such as land use types, environmental constraints, historic features, and social justice issues.

Join Bordentown City Officials and the American Planning Association - New Jersey Chapter to celebrate Downtown Bordentown’s Award as a GREAT PLACE IN NEW JERSEY!  The tour will be guided by Bordentown Mayor James Lynch and former Mayor and Assemblyman Joe Malone, with Deputy Mayor Heather Cheesman, Commissioner Zigmont Targonski and City Clerk Patricia Ryan on hand to offer interesting viewpoints and historical facts about Bordentown.

A one-day intensive workshop teaching how to make your community and region destination ready. Designed for business district management organizations, chambers and other municipal, county and regional leaders. 

Do transportation investments, particularly rail transit investments, facilitate long-term city and regional economic growth? If yes, what is the signficiance of the role of rail transit, versus other factors, in regional economic growth? In this webinar Bill Lee, Executive Vice President of AECOM Economics, will provide an extensive data-based review of three city pairs, each representing two cities that once had similar profile, but with one city that invested in regional rail transit and the other that did not.

Join us for Policy Briefing exploring the New Jersey Solar Energy Legislation signed into law by Governor Chris Christie (S-1925). Experts will discuss what is included in the legislation, the land use ramifications, and its impact on the solar market in New Jersey.

This webcast will provide planners and land use lawyers with everything they need to know about the “ins and outs” of the impacts of the booming natural gas industry’s activities on our communities. We start with an overview of the regulation of fracking activities, including federal, state, and local regulations and the consideration of land rights. Then we address in detail the role of planners in jurisdictions where fracking is permitted or is being contemplated, and how that role varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Get ready for what will be APA-NJ's largest conference yet!  Visit our conference website: www.2012NJPlanningConference.org for more details.  Registration is open!

We are pleased to partner with New Jersey Future on the first of their new webinar series. The Nuts and Bolts of Non-Contiguous Clustering, scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 12:30 pm, is a one-hour look at this innovative land-preservation tool and how it has been implemented in the state of New Jersey. Three presenters […]

We all know that our usual public meetings aren’t attracting large portions of our populations, and that many of the people we most want to hear from are more likely to use email and web sites than to show up for a council meeting. But with all the websites and whiz-bang online tools out there, what should we be doing? We will explore several different online public participation techniques, from surveying to idea prioritizing and ongoing project management. We will give a real-time demonstration of how several methods and online tools work, and we will spend a little time with the developer of one of these tools to discuss the challenges and protections needed to foster effective online participation.