NJ Department of Community Affairs

The State Plan provides a vision for the future that will preserve and enhance the quality of life for all residents of New Jersey. The State Plan is the result of a cross-acceptance process that included thousands of New Jersey citizens in hundreds of public forums, discussing all of the major aspects of the plan - its goals, strategies, policies and application. This process ensures that the plan belongs to the citizens of New Jersey, whose hopes and visions have shaped it.

The purpose of the State Plan is to:

Coordinate planning activities and establish Statewide planning objectives in the following areas: land use, housing, economic development, transportation, natural resource conservation, agriculture and farmland retention, recreation, urban and suburban redevelopment, historic preservation, public facilities and services, and intergovernmental coordination (N.J.S.A. 52:18A-200(f)).

Download the 2001 Plan
New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan: Executive Summary [pdf 16.8M]
New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan (entire document) [pdf 63.1M]

Section 1: Cover, Welcome, Contents, Preface and Introduction [pdf 3.8M]
Section 2: Statewide Goals and Strategies [pdf 42M]
Section 3: Statewide Policies [pdf 4M]
Section 4: Color Exhibits and State Plan Policy Map [pdf 15.3M]
Section 5: Role of the State Plan [pdf 2.3M]
Section 6: Appendices and Back Cover [pdf 3.6M]

Planning Areas

Click here to visit the Maps & GIS page.

The State Development and Redevelopment Plan provides a balance between growth and conservation by designating planning areas that share common conditions with regard to development and environmental features:

Areas for Growth: Metropolitan Planning areas (Planning Area 1), Suburban Planning Areas (Planning Area 2) and Designated Centers in any planning area.
Areas for Limited Growth: Fringe Planning Areas (Planning Area 3), Rural Planning Areas (Planning Area 4), and Environmentally Sensitive Planning Areas (Planning Area 5). In these planning areas, planning should promote a balance of conservation and limited growth—environmental constraints affect development and preservation is encouraged in large contiguous tracts.
Areas for Conservation: Fringe Planning Area (Planning Area 3), Rural Planning Areas (Planning Area 4), and Environmentally Sensitive Planning Areas (Planning Area 5).

State Plan Policy Map

The State Plan Policy Map reflects these planning polices graphically. Therefore, the State Plan Policy Map serves as the underlying land use-planning and management framework that directs funding, infrastructure improvements, and preservation for programs throughout New Jersey. Simply stated the State Development and Redevelopment Plan with the State Plan Policy Map is a dynamic vision of New Jersey's development and conservation patterns. With that in mind, the State Planning Commission incorporates new data from state agencies, counties and municipalities on an ongoing basis.

Click here to visit the Maps & GIS page.

Inter-Agency Coordination

The State Planning Commission, with the Office of Smart Growth coordinates the policies of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan with the following state agencies:

	Department of Agriculture	Department of Community Affairs
	Department of Education	Department of Environmental Protection
	Department of Transportation	Department of Treasury
	New Jersey Board of Public Utilities	New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission
	New Jersey Economic Development Authority	New Jersey School Construction Corporation
	New Jersey Transit