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On December 17, 2025, the New Jersey State Planning Commission (SPC) adopted an updated New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan, commonly known as the State Plan. The update, which was overseen by the New Jersey Office of Planning Advocacy (OPA) and the SPC, reflects contemporary planning priorities and best practices that have emerged since the adoption of the previous version of the Plan in 2001. The State Plan provides guidance on land use, transportation, housing, environmental protection and enhancement, economic development, public infrastructure, historic preservation, social justice, and adaptation to global climate change. State agencies will now begin the process of implementing the State Plan through their functional plans, investment priorities, and administrative rules, while local governments incorporate its objectives into their planning efforts. Importantly, the State Plan is intended to guide and coordinate planning efforts, not to override existing local plans or regulations.
Under the New Jersey State Planning Act, the update to the State Plan requires the completion of both an Impact Assessment and Infrastructure Needs Assessment. OPA and the SPC selected the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) at Rutgers University to assist with both efforts. VTC collaborated with researchers from Rowan University’s Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability on the Impact Assessment and served as the primary research team on the Infrastructure Needs Assessment.
State Plan Infrastructure Needs Assessment
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The Infrastructure Needs Assessment for the State Plan, evaluates current and projected conditions, needs, and costs for State, county, and municipal capital facilities, with needs estimates projected to the year 2030 where data availability allowed. The Assessment addresses a broad range of sectors, including transportation, energy, telecommunications, water supply, flood and shore protection, solid waste, healthcare, public and higher education, libraries, public safety, and housing. The Assessment describes the federal, state, and local planning, policy, and regulatory framework that shapes infrastructure investment decisions in New Jersey and compiles and summarizes information and data presented in recent planning documents, capital investment plans, and provided by state agencies. In the 2025 Assessment, infrastructure needs were estimated according to steady-state, moderate progress, and aspirational scenarios, which reflect a range of potential investment outcomes. The goals of the Infrastructure Needs Assessment are to guide capital planning, help state and local agencies base capital budgets on long-term capital plans, and support consistent and coordinated capital planning methods.
State Plan Impact Assessment
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The Impact Assessment for the State Plan, employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to identify potential changes or improvements to the Plan prior to its adoption. The quantitative analysis examined more than three decades of geospatial data to establish the pronounced, positive impact of state planning on the development and redevelopment of New Jersey. This same data included indicators that predicted the expected positive impact of the updated State Plan. The qualitative analysis involved a detailed evaluation of the goals and policies of the Plan based on an extensive review of contemporary planning literature. This analysis similarly found that the updated State Plan is consistent with contemporary planning principles and will yield positive impacts on New Jersey and its residents in the future. Overall, the Impact Assessment determined that the implementation of new State Plan will lead to prosperity, improved quality of life, and environmental preservation that will benefit all New Jerseyans.
The Infrastructure Needs Assessment and the Impact Assessment, along with the newly adopted State Plan, represent a significant step forward for comprehensive planning in the State of New Jersey. Both assessments are publicly available on the New Jersey Office of Planning Advocacy website: https://www.nj.gov/state/bac/planning/state-plan/assessment/