NJ releases municipal housing obligations (left); Bethlehem withdraws housing lawsuit; Homelessness spike in NJ; Station Yards second-phase grand opening; Speed cameras reduce fatalities in Brazil (right top-to-bottom)
Article of the Week
State Sets New Affordable Housing Quotas
Colleen O’Dea, NJ Spotlight News, October 21 2024
New Jersey municipalities must accommodate the construction or rehabilitation of over 146,000 affordable residences in the next decade to comply with the obligations established by a March law enforcing the state’s Fair Housing Act. For the first time in decades, each municipality has specific housing targets based on NJ DCA calculations that consider land capacity, income levels, and projected need. Local officials have until January to accept or propose alternatives to these calculations and must adopt plans by June 2025 detailing how they will meet these housing needs
NJ TOD News
NJ Town Withdraws Legal Challenge to State’s Affordable Housing Requirements
Mike Hayes, Gothamist, October 24 2024
Bethlehem Township has withdrawn its legal challenge to New Jersey’s affordable housing law, which mandates municipalities to contribute to the development of low-priced homes. The town claimed the law imposed financial burdens without state funding, but its complaint was retracted before reaching a decision by the New Jersey Council on Local Mandates. This leaves one remaining lawsuit from 23 towns seeking to invalidate the law on similar grounds, arguing it constitutes an unfunded mandate. New Jersey aims to develop or restore over 146,000 affordable homes in the next decade, but municipalities are concerned about the financial impact of meeting these requirements.
2024 Smart Growth Awards
Staff, New Jersey Future, October 22 2024
On October 22nd, New Jersey Future hosted the 2024 Smart Growth Awards, recognizing six exemplary smart growth projects across the state and posthumously honoring Ingrid Reed with their Leadership Award. Since 2002, New Jersey Future has awarded the Smart Growth Award, highlighting over 150 projects to date. This year’s honorees include The Nell at Dunellen Station Transit-Oriented Development, the Parkview AP development near Asbury Park Station, and the affordable 20 Littleton Avenue project developed in partnership between Newark and University Hospital, among others.
Transit and Equity News
MARYLAND—Fivesquares Development and Aimco Celebrate the Grand Opening of Strathmore Square in North Bethesda
Staff, Citybiz, October 23 2024
North Bethesda recently opened a 220-unit affordable housing development on the former parking lot of the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station. This joint project between Metro, Fivesquares Development, Strathmore, Aimco, the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, and Montgomery County marks Metro’s fourth transit-oriented development (TOD) in 2024, adding to a total of over 1,300 new housing units this year. The development is the first phase of a planned six-phase redevelopment of Strathmore Square, envisioned as a 2.2 million sq. ft. cultural hub with direct access to the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station and connections to seven bus lines.
NEW JERSEY—Homelessness Spikes by 27% in Hudson County, Latest Count Reveals
Ron Zeitlinger, The Jersey Journal, October 22 2024
The homeless population in Hudson County increased by 27 percent in 2024, from 920 to 1,168 people according to a one-day (Jan 23, 2024) count survey conducted by Monarch Housing Associates. Housing officials attribute this to factors such as the increasing prevalence of both formal and informal evictions, as well as a statewide lack of affordable housing. The full report on the homeless population in New Jersey can be found here, and documents a statewide increase of 24 percent.
MASSACHUSETTS—These Towns Are Seeing Results from the MBTA Communities Act
Abby Patkin, Boston.com, October 15 2024
Towns complying with the Massachusetts MBTA Communities Act have already started to see results from their transit-oriented rezonings. While some, like Milton, resist the changes, others, including Lexington, Westwood, and Somerville, have embraced higher-density housing proposals. Lexington, for instance, is reviewing seven proposals totaling 960 new units while ensuring that local infrastructure can support the growth. A recent poll found that 50 percent of Massachusetts residents view the MBTA Act as “good policy,” compared to 31 percent who see it as bad. Zoning expert Amy Dain attributes this sentiment to the early success residents have observed from the rezonings.
Regional and National TOD News
CONNECTICUT—$6M State Grant to Clear New Britain DPW Yard for Mixed-Use, Transit-Oriented Development
Michael Puffer, Hartford Business, October 22 2024
New Britain has secured a $6 million state grant to demolish buildings at the former Department of Public Works yard on Harvard Street, preparing the 3.1-acre site for redevelopment into a mix of multifamily housing and other uses. Local officials believe this transit-oriented development, situated near the East Main Street CTfastrak bus station, will help revitalize the East Side of New Britain. The City initially chose the Day Brothers to lead development; however, it retains the option to work with another partner.
NEW YORK—Governor Hochul Unveils the Next Phase of the $1.2 Billion Transit-Oriented Hub Station Yards, Creating More Than 1,400 Housing Units on Long Island
Press Release, Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, October 22 2024
State and local officials celebrated the grand opening of the Core, the latest phase of the 53-acre, $1.2 billion Station Yards redevelopment. Located around the Long Island Rail Road Ronkonkoma Station, this redevelopment offers direct access to Grand Central and Penn Station, making it attractive to prospective commuters. The Core features 388 housing units, 67,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 16,500 sq. ft. of office space, and a public plaza. Once fully completed, Station Yards will include 1,450 residential units, 360,000 sq. ft. of office space, 195,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and will create 2,500 permanent jobs. The next phase is expected to be completed by 2026.
MARYLAND—Formal Partnership Announced to Prioritize Transit-Oriented Development
Bryna Zumer, WMAR Baltimore, October 21 2024
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has signed a formal agreement with the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development to prioritize the construction of transit-oriented development. This agreement follows the recent release of MDOT’s TOD plan for the MARC Penn Line Corridor. The partnership will enable both departments to collaborate on identifying and funding new development around transit stations to address the state’s housing shortage.
NEW YORK—Why Does This Building by the Subway Need 193 Parking Spots? (Yes, Exactly 193.)
Emily Badger, Mihir Zaveri and Larry Buchanan, The New York Times, October 18 2024
The New York City Planning Commission has approved easing restrictions on development, including a proposal to eliminate parking mandates for all new housing citywide. This change would streamline development of a 328-unit mixed-use project near the subway, which currently requires 193 parking spots due to a decades-old ordinance on parking minimums. Other cities, like Austin and Buffalo, have already removed similar mandates. Parking minimums can inflate construction costs, especially in dense areas where expensive underground parking is often necessary. Ending these mandates will be part of Mayor Eric Adams’s City of Yes program to address the housing shortage, with a vote expected in the coming weeks.
International TOD News
BRAZIL—How São Paulo Cut Traffic Deaths by a Third Overnight
Stephen H. Graham, StreetsblogUSA, October 21 2024
This excerpt from the Vision Zero Cities Journal highlights São Paulo’s significant reduction in traffic fatalities, with a 32 percent drop from 2014 to 2016, largely due to the implementation of speed cameras and lowered speed limits. While automated enforcement has been effective, Graham emphasizes that further improvements require a comprehensive redesign of urban infrastructure to prioritize pedestrian safety. Despite the initial decrease, São Paulo’s traffic fatalities have leveled off over the past eight years. Graham cites the Netherlands and Denmark as examples of successful outcomes when speed cameras are combined with substantial public investment in infrastructure changes.
JAPAN—A Better Way to Build a Downtown
Noah Smith, Noahpinion, October 21 2024
Former Stony Brook professor Noah Smith explores Zakkyo buildings, a form of mixed-use development common in Japan that features retail space on every floor. Typically found in train station commercial districts, Zakkyo buildings accommodate multiple microbusinesses, restaurants, and offices without a specific organizing principle. The benefits of Zakkyo buildings include increased commercial density, greater variety for consumers, and more affordable retail options for prospective business owners. They also concentrate retail customers, creating quiet residential neighborhoods within walking distance of the city center. Examples of Zakkyo buildings can already be found in the United States, particularly in Brooklyn and Queens.