Albert Einstein once said that “Today’s problems cannot be solved if we still think the way we thought when we created them.” And at the eighth annual Smart Growth Awards, held this week, NJ Future honored the leaders working to change the way we think about land use and planning. Each year, NJ Future recognizes the outstanding projects that promote the growth of mixed-use developments, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly communities, and transit-oriented downtowns.
Held in the beautifully vistaed Newark Club, the Smart Growth Awards were well attended by elected officials, planners, and developers alike, including Newark Deputy Mayor Stefan Pryor and Director of Community Development Toni Griffin, who accepted an award for the best Comprehensive Revitalization Strategy for the Broad Street Redevelopment Plan (previously covered in MTR here). The seven awardees listed below exemplify good planning, and help move the state away from the auto-driven, sprawling status quo so familiar throughout the country.
Sustainable Design and Implementation
14 Maple Avenue, Morristown – Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Robert S. Goldsmith/Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, Morristown Parking Authority
Town Center Redevelopment Plan
Bloomfield Center Redevelopment Plan, Bloomfield – Township of Bloomfield, Newwork, Value Research Group
Comprehensive Revitalization Strategy
Broad Street Station and Living Downtown Redevelopment Plans, Newark – City of Newark, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Creative Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Preservation
Fairview Village, Camden – Camden Redevelopment Agency, New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency, RPM Development
Main Street Redevelopment
The Avenue Development and the Marketplace at Eden, South Orange – Eden Gourmet, Township of South Orange Village, Sterling Properties
Participatory Neighborhood Plan
North Camden Neighborhood Plan, Camden – Camden Lutheran Housing Inc., Cooper’s Ferry Development Association, Save Our Waterfront
Community-University Partnership
Rowan Boulevard, Glassboro – Borough of Glassboro, Rowan University, SORA Holdings
