Housing Experts: More Apartments, Small Homes, Density In Walkable Places Needed To Fix NJ Affordability Crisis

Posted on July 3, 2014 by walkableprinceton
A home for sale in Princeton. But is New Jersey doing enough to make it possible for people to access suitable housing markets? (click to expand.)

A home for sale in Princeton. But is New Jersey doing enough to make it possible for people to access suitable housing markets? (click to expand.)

New Jersey’s Star-Ledger news group is hosting a series called ‘Improving New Jersey’  in collaboration with Together North Jersey, and the first topic under consideration is the housing crisis in New Jersey. As we know, New Jersey is the second-worst state in the nation for housing cost. The cost of housing sucks money out of the local economy, and places many households in a precarious situation with regard to just paying the rent or mortgage payment. What are the causes of this crisis, and how can we resolve it? Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Density, People, planning, Real estate, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Downtown Princeton: Teresa Cafe Adding Outdoor Patio Area, To Open ‘July’.

Posted on June 30, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Outdoor seating area under construction at Teresa Cafe. (Click to expand.)

Outdoor seating area under construction at Teresa Cafe, Palmer Square, Princeton. (Click to expand.)

Teresa Cafe, in Palmer Square in downtown Princeton, is constructing a new outdoor patio seating area. The new dining space is expected to open some time in July. Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Street Art In…Princeton?

Posted on June 28, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Stickers on reverse of 'Stop' sign at Witherspoon and Hulfish Street, Princeton. June 28, 2014. (click to expand.)

Stickers on reverse of ‘Stop’ sign at Witherspoon and Hulfish Street, Princeton. June 28, 2014. (click to expand.)

For better or worse, in an urban environment, we are surrounded by graffiti, or ‘street art’ as it is known by aficionados. Many cities are known for it, but it’s not something we usually associate with Princeton is not one of them! After watching ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop‘, however, the work of street artists, which in many cases went unobserved before, stands out. Take this ‘Stop’ sign at the intersection of Hulfish Street and Witherspoon Street in downtown Princeton. ‘Sticker bombing‘ is a sub-genre of street art (also known as vandalism and almost certainly unlawful). But are any of these stickers intended as art? Let’s take a closer look at some of the individual stickers:  Continue reading →

Posted in Princeton, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Princeton U. Grad Students Issue Official Statement Demanding More Housing

Posted on June 26, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Part of Princeton University's 'Lakeside' project, which will include new graduate housing. But will it be enough? (click to expand.)

Part of Princeton University’s ‘Lakeside‘ project at Faculty and Elm Road. It will include new graduate housing but will it be enough? (click to expand.)

Princeton University’s Graduate Student Council (GSG) have released an official statement calling on University authorities to step up the provision of housing for post-graduate students. The statement, which was approved May 14, argues that every graduate student affiliated with the University should have the right to choose to live close to campus. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Community, Downtown Vibrancy, planning, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Princeton Planning Board Approves Mixed-Use 255 Nassau Street Plan

Posted on June 6, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Photograph of the final, approved 255 Nassau Street development, as presented to Princeton Planning Board June 5. (click to expand).

Photograph of the approved proposal for redevelopment at the 255 Nassau Street site, as presented to Princeton Planning Board June 5. (click to expand).

The Princeton Planning Board voted last night to approve a mixed-use redevelopment at 255 Nassau Street, in Princeton’s East Nassau Street neighborhood. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, architecture, Density, Downtown Vibrancy, planning, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, The Parking Question, Traffic, Zoning | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Bus Rapid Transit’ Plan Advances In Bergen County, NJ

Posted on June 5, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Current planned routes for Bergen County BRT (via www.bergenbrt.com)

Current planned routes for Bergen County BRT (via www.bergenbrt.com)

An updated scheme for what is being called ‘Bus Rapid Transit’ has been put forward for Bergen County, NJ. The plan, developed by engineering and design firm Parsons Brinckerhoff in association with NJ Transit and local agencies, envisages five routes in the area of Hackensack/Rutherford/NJ-Route 17 (see map above). Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Local, planning, Traffic | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jersey’s “Star-Ledger” Picks Up On Demand For Walkable Living

Posted on June 2, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Downtown Princeton

Downtown Princeton- an example of an in-demand walkable place. But is the downtown set up to best facilitate walkers?

New Jersey may be known as one of American’s original suburbs- but in recent years, walkable urban places have eclipsed car-dependent suburbia for many potential homeowners. Although sites like ‘NJ Future‘ and ‘Walkable Princeton’ have focused on the benefits of compact walkable living, the idea hasn’t quite gone mainstream in the Garden State. Last weekend, New Jersey’s Star-Ledger group- which runs the ‘Trenton Times’ and NJ.com website- published two articles that indicate how walkable urbanism is increasingly becoming the ‘new normal’. Continue reading →

Posted in Complete Streets, Downtown Vibrancy, Local, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Traffic, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

First Look: West Windsor’s ‘Ellsworth II’ Site Plan For Cranbury Road Near Princeton Junction Station

Posted on May 28, 2014 by walkableprinceton
ellsworth2

Existing conditions at the ‘Ellsworth II site’ in West Winsdor, seen here from Google Maps. The site could be set for redevelopment with a mixture of uses according to a new plan. (click to expand.)

West Windsor seems to be on an apartment surge, with plans for a mixed-use neighborhood off Bear Brook Road, and the recent approval of a mixed-use redevelopment of the ‘Ellsworth Center’ at Cranbury and Route 571 (Princeton-Highstown Road). The Ellsworth Center looks set to be the site of not one, but two mixed-used redevelopments, as a new plan has been put forward to redevelop the ‘Ellsworth II’ parcel at the back of the site! The site plans are below…

Continue reading →

Posted in Density, planning, Real estate, Smart Growth, Transit | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

West Windsor’s Maneely/Toll Brothers Mixed-Use Development In Detail

Posted on May 27, 2014 by walkableprinceton
'Building A' from Toll Brothers's proposed development of the Maneely property in West Windsor. (click to expand.)

‘Building A’ from Toll Brothers’s proposed development of the Maneely property in West Windsor. (click to expand.)

Toll Brothers have proposed a mixed use development at Bear Brook Road and old Bear Brook Road in West Windsor- a site sometimes know as ‘the Maneely property’. The plan, developed in conjunction with West Windsor township, calls for 188 ‘corporate suites’, 4o apartments, 51 town homes and 20,000 sq ft of commercial space. A 10-acre plot on the site is set aside for a 72-unit affordable housing development, which will potentially be constructed by Project Freedom. The plan was presented to the West Windsor Planning Board earlier this month. The details are below. Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, Density, Placemaking, planning, Real estate, Smart Growth | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Do You Know What Princeton Landmarks Are Built On ‘Brownfield Sites’?

Posted on May 23, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Princeton's library / Hinds Plaza was built at a 'brownfield site'. (click to expand.)

Princeton’s library / Hinds Plaza was built at a ‘brownfield site’. (click to expand.)

Princeton’s recent Democratic Party Council Candidate Forum- which we wrote about earlier this week– featured an amazing moment when the moderator skipped a crucial question about land use in Princeton. This oversight meant that the audience missed out on getting the opinions of the three candidates on a subject that has become a controversial subject of public complaint, and which has made the town the subject of a new legal battle in County Court. Most importantly, this issue is at the very heart of redevelopment in Princeton. Continue reading →

Posted in Placemaking, planning, Princeton, Smart Growth, Sustainability | Tagged , , | 1 Comment