Resources

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Office of State Planning is to support the State Planning Commission in the preparation of a State Development and Redevelopment Plan to achieve the following goals

• Revitalize the State’s urban centers and areas
• Conserve the State’s natural resources
• Protect the environment
• Provide adequate public services at a reasonable cost
• Preserve and enhance historic, cultural, open space and recreational lands and structures
• Ensure sound and integrated planning statewide and to provide planning services to local governments and state agencies.

URBAN FOCUS

The State Development and Redevelopment Plan recommends that all state agencies give appropriate priority in their program and funding decisions to municipalities that have prepared Strategic Revitalization Plans or have participated in a multi-jurisdictional Urban Complex planning process. The Office of State Planning can provide technical assistance to a municipality or county that wishes to engage in either planning process.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The following documents are available for further information about the State Development and Redevelopment Plan, the Office of State Planning, or the state planning process in general:

• The State Development and Redevelopment Plan (June 12, 1992)
• A Citizen’s Guide to the NJ State Development and Redevelopment Plan
• A Guide to Understanding and Using the State Development and Redevelopment Plan
• The Cross-Acceptance Manual
• Technical Memorandum #1A - Guidelines for preparing a Strategic Revitalization Plan
• Technical Memorandum #2 - Guidelines for Establishing an Urban Complex

The Office of State Planning also publishes articles, newsletters, and technical papers on a regular basis which highlight various planning strategies, techniques, and data of interest to planning groups and agencies. The complete list of OSP publications can be found on the Office web site or can be requested by calling the Office.

DESIGNATING CENTERS - CREATING COMMUNITIES OF PLACE

The State Development & Redevelopment Plan encourages communities throughout New Jersey to anticipate their future population and employment levels and to plan to Accommodate this growth in focused, sustainable forms. In many communities, this can be accomplished by planning for this growth in centers--what the Plan calls 'Communities of Place." This planning occurs in the context of a municipal master plan. Centers have a central core of public and private services; they are surrounded by a "community development area," where community infrastructure systems, utilities, and other services are planned for long-term growth. This area is defined by a "community development boundary." The center's environs are located outside that boundary, in one of five "planning areas." (Refer to the State Plan for a complete discussion of centers and planning areas.)

The State Planning Commission and Office of State Planning are ready and able to support local governments exercising the initiative to create their own State Plan center. The Commission and Office are available to provide front-end technical support and follow-up services upon designation. Guidelines for preparing an application are available in the Office of State Planning's Technical Support Paper, 'The Centers Designation Process (Document 99)." This brochure supplements Document 99 and is based on the knowledge gained from several successful designation applications. Applicants are urged to arrange pre-application meetings with OSP staff before initiating any centers application petitions.