WHAT:

New Jersey Future and the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association’s 2021 Planning and Redevelopment Conference, June 10 and 11, is a two-day virtual conference focused on all aspects of redevelopment and planning in New Jersey. In the most intensively-developed state in the nation, redevelopment is increasingly becoming the default method for accommodating New Jersey’s growth, and brings economic benefit to its already-built places while helping to preserve its precious open-space resources. The conference brings together bold ideas, innovative solutions, proven concepts, and best practices for creating better, more inclusive, and equitable places where people live, work, and play.

WHO:

• Jeffrey Otteau, Managing Partner, Chief Economist, Otteau Group, Inc.
• Shawn LaTourette, Acting Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
• Timothy Sullivan, CEO, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
• Joseph Fiordaliso, President, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
• Jeff Brown, Executive Director, New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission
• Daniel Benson, Assemblyman, New Jersey General Assembly
• Howard Burrell, Mayor, Vernon Township
• Jane Cohen, Director, Climate Action and the Green Economy, Office of the Governor
• Sheena Collum, Mayor, South Orange Village
• Calvin Gladney, President & CEO, Smart Growth America
• Olivia Glenn, Deputy Commissioner, Environmental Justice & Equity, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
• Janice Kovach, Mayor, Town of Clinton
• Adrian Mapp, Mayor, City of Plainfield
• Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League
• Andre Sayegh, Mayor, City of Paterson
• Michael Stanzilis, Mayor, Borough of Mount Arlington
• Tiffany Worthy, Mayor, Willingboro Township

See the agenda for speaker times. View the full speaker list here.

WHEN:

9:00am to 4:15pm on Thursday, June 10 and Friday, June 11.

Featured sessions include:

• All Boats Rise: Investing in Climate Resilience and Communities (June 10, 9:15am), featuring Shawn LaTourette, Acting Commissioner of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority; Joseph Fiordaliso, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Jane Cohen, Director of the Office of Climate Change and the Green Economy; and Kathleen Ellis, CEO of Kathleen Ellis Strategic Solutions LLC. This panel will outline the important role that planning and redevelopment play within the Murphy Administration’s climate change goals.
• Incorporating Climate Change: It’s the Law (June 11, 10:45am), featuring Anthony Merchantante, Middleton Township Administrator; Jessica Jahre, Senior Planner at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; Jon Drill, Member at Stickel, Koenig, Sullivan & Drill, LLC; Leah Yasenchak, Principal at BRS, Inc.; and Stan Slachetka, Group Manager at T&M Associates. This panel will explore how towns can use vulnerability assessments to prepare for climate change threats.
• Geography of Equity and Inclusion: The Big Picture (June 10, 12:15pm), featuring Calvin Gladney, President and CEO of Smart Growth America; Christain Estevez, President of the Latino Action Network; Christopher Brown, Director of Community Development for the City of Hoboken; David Trout, Professor of Law at Rutgers University; Eric Dobson, Deputy Director of Fair Share Housing Center; Joseph Maraziti, Partner at Maraziti Falcon LLC; Peter Kasabach, Executive Director of New Jersey Future; and Renee Reynolds. Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. National and state leaders will discuss what a geography of equity and inclusion would look like and how we might get there.
• The Future of New Jersey: An Economic Forecast (June 11, 9:00am), featuring Jeffrey Otteau, Managing Partner and Chief Economist at the Otteau Group, Inc. This session will explore the long-term consequences of the pandemic on commerce, housing demand, commuting patterns, and real estate development.
• Municipal Approach to Racial and Economic Inclusion (June 11, 12:15pm), featuring Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh; Barbara George Johnson, Vice President of the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University; Vernon Mayor Howard Burrell; Marc Morial, President & CEO of National Urban League; and Willingboro Mayor Tiffany Worthy. Elected officials will explore how racial and economic segregation impact our towns and their land use decision-making.

WHERE:

This is a virtual event. For press access, contact Missy Rebovich.