New Jersey is located in the northeastern United States and has 130 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Located across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan, New Jersey is home to iconic sights like the Statue of Liberty and the historic Immigration Museum. The Jersey Shore is also home to famous resort towns, such as Asbury Park. Some of these towns have Victorian architecture and are also popular with tourists.
Urban
The American Planning Association-New Jersey Chapter promotes professional certification for urban planners in the state. Professional certification is earned by passing the AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) exam. To maintain the certification, planners must complete 32 CM (Certification Maintenance) credits every two years. New Jersey residents can find CM activities in their area by visiting the CM Search database.
The state land-use plan in New Jersey directs growth to urban centers while protecting open space. The state’s environmental policy is stymied by competing perspectives on suburban and urban lifestyles and the role of state intervention. However, one route to environmental protection may be found in urban revitalization. This article explores these issues.
Although New Jersey has one of the highest population densities in the nation, it is not yet one of the country’s classic large cities. The state’s population is concentrated in the suburbs of the nation’s largest cities. According to the most recent U.S. Census, Bergen County contains 955,732 people. Its population of 70 municipalities includes Hackensack, which has a population of 44,522.
The State’s largest urban areas are those surrounding New York City and along the eastern Jersey Shore. Other areas of the state are less dense, including the extreme southern and northern regions. The borough of Milltown in Middlesex County is considered the center of population in New Jersey. The state’s metropolitan area is home to more than 50 million people.
Rural
The New Jersey Office of Primary Care and Rural Health has launched a new initiative called NJ Rural Health Weeks to support rural communities. The initiative promotes collaboration among health care providers and rural communities. Telehealth events, including school-based programs and telemental health workshops, are also held throughout rural New Jersey. In addition to the events, the state division of rural health has started a deaf sensitivity training program and provides interpreters to rural communities.
New Jersey has over 9 million residents, and about 10 percent of those people live in rural counties. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, rural counties are those with less than 500 people per square mile. In New Jersey, seven counties are considered rural, and those counties are located in the southern and northwestern parts of the State.
Many rural parts of the state have been developed over the years, with a mixture of residential and commercial structures. This development spurred homebuyers to leave the crowded cities and move to rural areas. But many of these homes and buildings have common building defects, which can pose risks and liability. These problems can result in large repair bills.
South Jersey is the southern region of the state, encompassing most of the state’s eight counties and about one-fourth of the population. The Inner Coastal Plain has good soils for growing vegetables and other crops. Although most of rural areas are dominated by suburban development, the region is still home to some substantial estates. Some areas are covered with woodland or farmland.
Parochial
In the early part of the 20th century, the Protestant population of New Jersey was growing rapidly, and the rapid growth of Catholic immigrants raised concerns about the future of the state’s Catholic population. The Know-Nothings, a group with the strong anti-Catholic sentiment, took action by attacking a Catholic church in Newark. This was not an isolated incident. Tensions had been growing ever since a fire in a Protestant building in Newark was ignored by the fire brigade.
Since the ruling, public schools have complained that the schools in Bergen County are at a competitive disadvantage. They were concerned that six Catholic high schools could draw students from a larger area than the public schools. As a result, the parochial schools will have to travel to schedule games.
During the 19th century, the state’s ecclesiastical boundaries changed several times. In 1789, the Diocese of Baltimore included the state. Bp. John Carroll’s visit to Trenton in 1803 helped to further define the boundaries of the province. In 1808, the Dioceses of Philadelphia and New York claimed the southern and eastern parts of the state, and Newark remained as a single diocese.
There are several different types of parochial parishes in the state. For example, there is the St. Francis of Assisi parish in Glen Ridge, which is home to many gay and traditional Catholic parishioners. This parish leases space from the Glen Ridge Congregational Church. Another American National Catholic parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe, borrows space from St. James Episcopal Church in Long Branch, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus holds mass at the Grace United Methodist Church in Kearny.
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan New Jersey venue is located in Passaic County, New Jersey, and is less than 10 minutes from the Lincoln Park Airport. The Cosmopolitan is also a short drive away from the iconic landmarks of Wayne, New Jersey. It is also within driving distance of many New York City attractions, including Times Square, Macy’s, and Broadway.
Whether you are hosting a business event or a special family celebration, the banquet facility at Cosmopolitan is the perfect setting. The venue provides excellent service, elegant cuisine, and flawless presentation for memorable events. The Cosmopolitan is preparing for a great New Year’s Eve celebration, featuring five hours of premium open bar, gourmet appetizers, a buffet dinner, and a midnight champagne toast.
The Cosmopolitan offers two versatile event venues: the Diamond Ballroom and the Four Seasons Room. The former features a grand staircase and an abundance of ambient lighting. The latter features classic seating for 180 guests. With such elegant venues, the Cosmopolitan is a perfect location for a wedding.
Industrial
Industrial New Jersey is expanding and thriving, driven by a variety of industries, from food and beverage companies to manufacturing and transportation and logistics. With the recent improvement in mobile technology, the e-commerce industry has also begun to thrive in this state. E-retailers are increasingly taking up available industrial space, thanks to New Jersey’s excellent infrastructure.
The industrial market in New Jersey continues to show impressive fundamentals, as well as robust leasing activity. In the first quarter of 2018, leasing activity increased 48.3% quarter-over-quarter and was evenly spread between the Central and Northern regions of the state. About half of the leasing volume was made up of logistics companies and manufacturing users. Recent leasing activity includes Keurig, which leased 499,898 SF at 24 Applegate Drive in Robbinsville. Another major tenant, ZT Group International, leased 425,000 square feet at 1 Emerson Lane in Secaucus.
Today, manufacturing in New Jersey is booming, as New Jersey’s Port of NY & NJ serves as an important transport hub. With over 118,000 people employed in this industry, it represents three percent of the state’s private sector. Leading companies in this sector include Johnson, Bristol-Myers-Squibb Company, and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. Twenty-one of the Fortune 500 are headquartered in the state.
The vacancy rate in the Northern and Central New Jersey industrial market decreased by half a percentage point during the fourth quarter of 2021. Tenant demand for industrial space is driving up rents. Almost half of the speculatively-built industrial space in these areas is being offered at a higher rate than the average in the state.
Political
As a “home rule” state, most decisions regarding land use and development are made at the municipal level. That means that the five hundred and seventy-seven municipalities of New Jersey have absolute control over the future of their towns. As such, local opinion often trumps regional need. Despite this, planning boards are supposed to act as nonpartisan quasi-judicial interpreters of zoning ordinances.
In the 1980s, the New Jersey state judiciary and legislature battled over the funding of public schools. This led to the enactment of the nation’s first state takeover law for public schools. The state’s first two state takeovers, in Asbury Park and Camden, were considered failures. Later, in Irvington and Asbury Park, the state took over full operational control of the school districts. In the 1990s, New Jersey’s state boards mandated achievement tests and compulsory curricular standards.
A key problem facing companies in New Jersey is the high cost of doing business. Large companies are often hit harder than small businesses. Small businesses, in particular, experience stop and go cycles. They start thinking about expanding their operations only to pull back because of the lack of confidence or the introduction of new regulations. This lack of continuity in the business climate is difficult to repair.
Another issue that has been the subject of debate is the amount of state funding for charter schools. The Fordham Foundation gave NJ a grade of “C” in funding for charter schools.
