New Jersey’s Home for Transit Friendly Planning News

Published since 2005, the Transit Friendly Planning Newsletter is designed to keep municipal officials, planners, and advocates up-to-date on the potential for development and redevelopment around transit stations. This partnership between NJ TRANSIT and the Bloustein School’s Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) at Rutgers University aims to enrich the transit-oriented development (TOD) conversation in New Jersey’s diverse communities by highlighting what is happening in the state and around the country: best practices, model programs, legislation, and local problem-solving experiences.

In addition to the newsletter, we share research from VTC, ranging from the benefits of transit friendly planning and TOD to its effect on housing values to guides to implementation, with a focus on New Jersey.

We hope local leaders and the public find these articles and research of value as we all strive to create livable, sustainable, and thriving communities. We always appreciate reader input, so send us your comments, criticisms, and ideas for future articles, research, and learning opportunities. We can be reached at:

NJTOD | Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(846) 932-6812
njtod@ejb.rutgers.edu

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NJTOD Staff

STEPHANIE DiPETRILLO
Senior Researcher, PI & Editor

Stephanie DiPetrillo draws on a background in historic preservation, architecture, urban design, and planning for her transit-friendly planning work. Her research examines the connections between transportation and land use and explores how improvements in the built environment and transit-oriented development can promote the use of public and community transportation. Increasingly her work has looked at the ways to improve access to transit for all users, including people with disabilities and older adults. She has taught at Hofstra University, Rutgers University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Ms. DiPetrillo holds a BA in Economics and a MCRP from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and a M.Arch from NJIT.

HIYABU HABTEMICHAEL
Research Project Coordinator

Hiyabu Habtemichael undertakes research on projects related to transit-oriented development and spatial economic analysis. His work has involved cataloguing the success of the state’s Transit Village program, developing county-level spatial analyses for economic development, and updating online databases to envision proposed transit routes. He has contributed to survey materials to assess local governments’ transportation spending, under the direction of the Federal Highway Administration. Mr. Habtemichael holds a BS in Business Administration and a MA in Urban Studies from the CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies.

TIA AZZI
Research Assistant

Tia Azzi is a dedicated researcher of urban planning focused on exploring economic and social issues within the field of urban planning. Ms. Azzi is currently interested in creating culturally vibrant cities through eco-friendly transportation and zoning. Using her background, she seeks to understand historical and current issues to create an equitable society. Her previous work experience includes writing for the New Jersey Policy Lab, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service, and the City of New Brunswick. Ms. Azzi holds a BS in Public Policy and BA in Middle Eastern Studies. Currently, she is a Master of City and Regional Planning Student at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

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NJTOD Advisory Board

NJTOD (the Transit Friendly Planning Newsletter) is published with support provided by NJ TRANSIT, as part of the agency’s Transit Friendly Planning program. The NJTOD website and newsletter is produced by the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC), an academic research center at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

The NJTOD Advisory Board provides strategic guidance in support of our mission: to advance the conversation about transit friendly planning and the potential for development and redevelopment around transit facilities in the state of New Jersey. Board members include representatives from NJ TRANSIT, the New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC), New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the American Planning Association—New Jersey Chapter (APA-NJ), Downtown New Jersey, New Jersey Future (NJF), New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM), and New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP).

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NJTOD Partners and Other Resources

Our partners and other organizations advancing transit-oriented development and transit friendly planning.