Getting Started with Downtown Revitalization

New Jersey Future Redevelopment ForumNew Brunswick, NJ

New Jersey FuturePeter Kasabach

Executive Director

March 13, 2015

Downtowns are mixed-use, walkable places

Balanced: Day and night uses and different activities

Compact: Uses are close together

Connected: Lots of ways for people to get around

Diverse: Opportunities for a wide range of people

Attractive: High quality design and materials

Demand for Compact, Walkable Places is Increasing

From Transit Center’s “Who’s on Board 2014” survey

Millennials are Driving Demand

Millennials consistently report greater attraction to

less driving-intensive lifestyles – urban living,

residence in “walkable” communities, and openness to the use of non-driving modes of transport – than older generations.

Young people aged 20 to 30 are less likely to

move from central cities to suburbs than a

decade ago.

Over the last decade – after 60-plus years of steady increases – the

number of miles driven by the average American has been falling. Young Americans have experienced the greatest

changes: driving less; taking transit, biking and walking more; and seeking out places to live in cities and walkable communities where driving is an option, not a necessity

From U.S. PIRG’s “Millennials in Motion” report, October 2014

Built-Out is a misnomer

From 3.6% of total statewide population

growth to 54.5%

259 municipalities with downtown centers

New Jersey Can Meet this Demand

Meeting Demand through Revitalization

Lots of room for winners

Downtown revitalization survey of New Jersey municipalities

• 1 in 4 municipalities responded.

• 82% said municipal government has responsibility for revitalization.

• Fewer than half (44%) have a designated point person to focus on revitalization.

Important vs. Effective

Significant mismatch between what respondents say is important to them and how effective they are at that:

Filling vacant storefronts: Importance: 4.5 out of 5; effectiveness: 2.9 out of 5

Improving the mix of retail: Importance: 4.4 out of 5; effectiveness: 3.0 out of 5

Retaining stores and restaurants: Importance: 4.4 out of 5; effectiveness: 3.3 out of 5

Reactive vs. Proactive

Better at reacting to inquiries and following rules and process, rather than creating and implementing a vision.

Responding to developer inquires: 3.7 out of 5

Pro-actively marketing to developers: 3.0 out of 5

Virtually all respondents were on track for master plan updates, but not clear if any were making adjustments to make revitalization easier.

Being Effective and Garnering Resources

Respondents indicated they don’t know how to be proactive in their revitalization efforts, how to identify strategies that will yield the greatest benefit or how to access tools and resources:

Proactive revitalization efforts: Importance: 4.4 out of 5; effectiveness: 3.6 out of 5

Less than one-third of respondents used procedural incentives (28%) or financial incentives (32%) for downtown revitalization

Only 39% of respondents indicated they had applied for grant funding for revitalization projects

Only 20% had created a marketing plan and even fewer were implementing a marketing plan.

What’s Important

Final note - 40% stated business conditions were weak/sluggish or declining/deteriorating. Demographic changes are the opportunity, and strategic downtown revitalization is the answer.

• Bloomfield, Essex (2009)

• Collingswood, Camden (2007) and Citizen’s Guide to TOD

• Cranford, Union (2005) and Citizen’s Guide to TOD

• Fanwood, Union (2014)

• Glassboro, Gloucester (2009)

• Hammonton, Atlantic (2012)

• Morristown, Morris (2007, 2008, 2009)

• Princeton, Mercer (2005)

• Rahway, Union (2008)

• Somerdale, Camden (2012)

• South Orange, Essex (2002, 2009)

Smart Growth Award Winners - Examples

www.njfuture.org/sga-winners

2015 Smart Growth AwardsJune 4, 2015Newark, NJ

How Can We Help

Services

• Educational Training• Opportunity Assessments• Strategy Development• Implementation Management

Local Managers

• Working in 6 coastal towns on resiliency and rebuilding

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New Jersey Future

Peter Kasabach, Executive Director

www.njfuture.org

609-393-0008

Sample Research and Publications