Review of a survey of more than 100 municipalities on the most important factors affecting the success of their downtown revitalization efforts.

1. Getting Started with Downtown Revitalization
New Jersey Future Redevelopment Forum
New Brunswick, NJ
New Jersey Future
Peter Kasabach
Executive Director
March 13, 2015

2. 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

3. Demand for Compact, Walkable Places is Increasing
From Transit Center’s “Who’s on Board 2014” survey

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. • 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 Awards
June 4, 2015
Newark, NJ

12. How Can We Help
Services
• Educational Training
• Opportunity Assessments
• Strategy Development
• Implementation Management
Local Managers
• Working in 6 coastal towns on
resiliency and rebuilding

13. .
New Jersey Future
Peter Kasabach, Executive Director
www.njfuture.org
609-393-0008
Sample Research
and Publications