Gentle Density: Unlocking the Missing Middle in Housing

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Hosted by NJTOD, Downtown New Jersey, and NJ TRANSIT’s Transit Friendly Planning (TFP) Program, the event will feature a timely discussion on gentle density and missing middle housing in New Jersey. Experts from public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local governments will share their experiences and strategies for expanding diverse housing options while preserving neighborhood character. 

Middle Housing—ranging from duplexes to buildings with up to 12 units—have been largely sidelined since the mid-20th century, as zoning regulations prioritized suburban single-family homes or urban high rises. Reintroducing Middle Housing into single-family and transitional neighborhoods offers a practical approach to advancing Gentle Density.  

As municipalities work to address the state’s housing shortage, gentle density provides a realistic and context-sensitive solution. This panel will highlight real-world approaches for developing Middle Housing, the role of public transit in supporting these efforts, and best practices for creating livable, affordable, and sustainable communities. 

Registration, Networking & Refreshments at 9:30 AM
Panel at 10:00 AM

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Welcome
Stephanie DiPetrillo, Senior Research Project Manager, RU-VTC / NJTOD

Introduction
Michael Swan, AICP, PP, Assistant Director, Transit Friendly Planning, NJ TRANSIT

Moderator
Courtenay Mercer, Treasurer, Downtown NJ; Founding Principal + CEO, Mercer Planning Associates

Panelists 
Adam Tecza, Urban Design Practice Manager, FHI Studio, now IMEG
Allison Ladd, Deputy Mayor and Director of Economic and Housing Development (EHD), City of Newark
Chris Cosenza, Project Manager, LRK
Chris Sturm, Policy Director, NJ Future

Closing Remarks
Megan Massey, AICP, PP, Director, Transit Friendly Planning, NJ TRANSIT

AICP Credits: CM | 2

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NJTOD
Published since 2005, NJTOD (aka the Transit-Friendly Development 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 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. 

Downtown New Jersey
Downtown New Jersey (DNJ) is a non-profit membership organization of individuals, businesses, developers, government agencies, and local and regional entities that are passionate about downtowns. Downtowns reflect our communities’ unique identities, provide a focal point, a convenient local place of commerce, and offer a sense of place where people can gather and truly be a community. DNJ provides advocacy, education, and technical assistance resources dedicated to ensuring the vitality of our downtowns. 

NJ TRANSIT
The NJ TRANSIT Transit-Friendly Planning Program (TFP) supports transit use by working with communities to provide for an appropriate mix of land uses around NJ TRANSIT terminals, stations, and stops. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the TFP has enabled NJ TRANSIT to participate in transit-supportive development through activities such as public education and on-call technical assistance, along with projects focused on enhancing transit ridership, creating non-farebox revenue, spurring local economic revitalization, and leveraging transit to improve quality of life. NJ TRANSIT is now strategically updating the TFP, refining program initiatives and offerings to best serve the diverse stakeholders engaged in transit-supportive activities throughout New Jersey.