Sprawl Halted in New Jersey

The Morris County Planning Board indicates that no new residential subdivisions of 20 or more lots were received in 2008, which signals the end of large-tract developments.

1 minute read

June 9, 2009, 7:00 AM PDT

By Liyuan Huang


"The end of the decades-long land-use trend that helped scatter the population of New Jersey from Hoboken to Hardwick is noted in a 2008 Development Activity Report from the Morris County Planning Board, which states: "Table VI notes no new residential subdivisions of 20 or more lots were received in 2008. This signals the end of large-tract developments in the New Jersey Highlands area of Morris County."

The change is significant, the report said, because the 12 municipalities in the Highlands preservation area had contributed the largest number of approved residential units over the previous 10 years.

"This might be the end of sprawl but not the end of all development," said Freeholder Jack Schrier, who is vice chairman of the New Jersey Highlands Council, the group that oversees the implementation of the state law. "The Highlands Act did not set out to end sprawl, but that is the unintended result.""

Monday, June 8, 2009 in Daily Record

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation