From the Pinelands
to the Highlands, New
Jersey's natural landscape
is varied and beautiful.
Regrettably, it is
being paved over at
the alarming rate of
50 acres a day. NJFIT encourages transportation
networks that preserve
open space and the
redevelopment and revitalization
of existing urban and
suburban centers.
Sensible
transportation policies
help preserve open
space
In areas with good transit and a strong
pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure,
Sprawling land use
patterns along Route
9 in Ocean County
are inefficient and
ugly.
development
can be built close together.
This means more farmland and environmentally
sensitive land can be protected for
future generations. However, development
tends to be of a lower density where
driving is the primary means of transportation.
Houses, office and retail are spread
farther apart and new construction
spreads out more quickly into the countryside.
Research indicates that driving can
be reduced by more than 30 percent
by simply doubling land use density
by bringing destinations closer.
Studies have
also shown that widened
or extended highways encourage
the construction of new,
low-density, car-dependent
developments at the urban
edge. This increases congestion
on our highways because
everyone needs to drive
everywhere. NJFIT directs
new development toward
older, existing communities.
This saves approximately
122,000 acres of land from
development (New Jersey
State Development and Redevelopment
Plan 2001). This policy
is not only financially
sound but it also protects
environmentally sensitive
land at the urban edge
and reduces the number
of cars on the road. NJFIT encourages communities,
developers and other stakeholders
to communicate and coordinate
land use and transportation
plans.
Smart
and sensible choices
lead to positive fiscal
consequences
Sensible land use partially
depends on making the most
of what we already have,
instead of always building
new. In fact, fixing existing
infrastructure is more
affordable than building
additional facilities.
Directing
resources to already developed
areas can also help revitalize
older neighborhoods and
generate significant economic
development for the region.
Walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented
downtowns increase productivity,
create a high "quality-of-place,"
strengthen land values
and increase property tax
revenues for municipalities.
Making these improvements
in existing communities
can reduce the pressure
for new development at
the urban edge and ultimately
preserve open space.
One study
estimated that New
Jersey could save
more than $2 billion,
or 15 percent, in
road and water/sewer
infrastructure between
2000 and 2020 by
adopting the New
Jersey State Development
and Redevelopment
Plan, which focuses
development in already
built areas.
The
Tools and Case Studies
best associated with
the
Sensible Land Use
and Sustainability FITness
goal is listed below
in the drop down boxes.
Achieving this goal is
possible through the
application of various
tools and programs.
