NJ Housing in 2025 (right) • The Mercer opens in Newark • Sacramento receives $126M in transit funds • 2025 Transit Wins • HCMC path for success (left top-to-bottom)
Article of the Week
NJ 2025: The Year in Housing
Colleen O’Dea, NJ Spotlight News | December 22, 2025
In 2025, New Jersey advanced housing policy through the affordable housing law Governor Murphy signed in 2024. The Department of Community Affairs identified a need for 85,000 new units, and municipal officials addressed 62,000 of that need across 460 municipal fair share housing plans. How many units will ultimately be built remains unclear.
NJ TOD News
WESTFIELD—Ground Broken on 60-Unit The Vantage in Downtown Westfield
Chris Fry, Jersey Digs | December 23, 2025
Vango Development and the Town of Westfield started construction on The Vantage, a 60-unit mixed-use development near Westfield Station. The development includes nine affordable units, an underground parking garage, and ground-floor retail. The project targets completion in early 2027.
NEWARK—The Mercer Opens in Downtown Newark with Limited-Time Leasing Incentives
Amie Johnstone, Jersey Digs | December 22, 2025
The Mercer, an office-to-residential conversion, has opened for leasing in downtown Newark. The project includes 110 residential units and 4,429 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail at 10 Commerce Court, located at a major transit hub within walking distance of light rail, bus lines, and Newark Penn Station.
Transit and Equity News
WASHINGTON—Teamwork Delivers Affordable Homes Near Transit in Redmond
Angela Birney and Ian Lefcourte, National League of Cities | December 23, 2025
To address Washington’s shortage of affordable housing, Redmond has used zoning and ordinance changes alongside partnerships with non-profits, King County, and Sound Transit. Projects such as Prisma, an affordable transit-oriented development led by Redmond, Sound Transit, and private sector partners, offer a roadmap for future efforts. Key strategies include leveraging surplus transit land, stacking multiple subsidies, and designing for families.
CALIFORNIA—Sacramento Regional Transit Secures $126M for Transit, Other Efforts
Liz Carey, Transportation Today | December 16, 2025
The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) secured $126 million in grant funding to support transit upgrades and advance transit-oriented development. SacRT will use the funding to purchase four new light rail vehicles, upgrade transit signals, and build 546 affordable units near Blue and Gold Line stations.
Regional and National TOD News
VERMONT—Essex Junction Approves Master Plan for Nine-Story Buildings and Major Urban Transformation
Staff, Compass Vermont | December 26, 2025
The Essex Junction City Council adopted the “Connect the Junction” Transit-Oriented Development Master Plan, allowing for higher-density development in the suburban city. Buildings in redevelopment zones may now rise to nine stories, with a tenth story permitted if the development meets affordability metrics. The City plans to add more than 3,000 new units by 2050.
When It Comes to US Transportation, 2025 Had Some Wins, Too
David Zipper, Bloomberg | December 22, 2025
Despite a hostile federal environment for transit, 2025 delivered several wins for transit and complete streets advocates. New York’s congestion pricing withstood repeated repeal efforts by the Trump Administration and met multiple MTA goals, prompting cities such as Boston and San Francisco to consider similar policies. Technologies such as Intelligent Speed Assist are also reducing reckless driving and gaining bipartisan support.
WASHINGTON—Affordable Housing Will Be Built Next to FW Light Rail Station
Keelin Everly-Lang, Federal Way Mirror | December 19, 2025
Sound Transit partnered with Multi-Service Center and Shelter Resources Inc. to build 230 homes across two buildings at the recently opened Federal Way Light Rail Station. The project includes community amenities such as a café for refugees and immigrants, a commercial kitchen for people experiencing homelessness, and a childcare facility. Construction is slated to begin in 2028.
International TOD News
EGYPT—Workers Begin Laying Tracks for Egypt’s High-Speed Rail Megaproject
Nada Abou El-Amaim, The Times of Israel | December 24, 2025
Workers have begun laying tracks for Egypt’s first high-speed rail line, the Green Line, a 410-mile network linking Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean. Dubbed the “new Suez Canal,” the line is expected to carry nearly 1.5 million passengers daily when it opens in 2026.
VIETNAM—Resolution 98 and TOD: The Twin Pillars of HCMC’s Push to Become a Super City
Ho Van, VietnamNet | December 24, 2025
Ho Chi Minh City plans to pair legal reform under Resolution 98 with transit-oriented development to transform the city. Resolution 98 aims to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and attract greater private investment, supporting TOD projects around Metro Line 1 and 2 with potential for billions of dollars in growth.
INDIA—Jaipur Launches Five New Transit-Oriented Development Corridors Along Metro Routes
Staff, Prop News Time | December 23, 2025
The Jaipur Development Authority designated five sections along the East-West Metro line as transit-oriented development corridors to support mixed-use development around stations. Under the Jaipur TOD framework, the areas will implement mixed-use mandates, road width guidelines, and higher floor area ratios (FAR).