Principal Investigator: Miriam Salerno

The Vibrant Communities Initiative builds on the municipal capacity-building efforts first established through the Together North Jersey (TNJ) Initiative. Since the conclusion of the TNJ grant in 2015, the NJTPA and the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) at Rutgers have continued to advance TNJ Plan goals by providing technical assistance to communities—now under a new name and expanded focus. This ongoing work supports the themes from the NJTPA Plan 2050 and supports the development of the next Long Range Transportation Plan, which is scheduled for adoption in FY 2026.

As part of the initiative, the Vibrant Places Program offers local technical assistance that harnesses the principles of placemaking to strengthen connections between people and the places they share—enhancing the social, physical, and economic fabric of communities throughout the region. In partnership with VTC, NJTPA also sponsors a series of workshops and symposia aimed at building the capacity of counties, municipalities, nonprofits, and other regional stakeholders.