U. professor takes on experiential learning at the Jersey Shore

Clinton Andrews, distinguished professor of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, recently took his graduate students along the New Jersey coastline to explore local issues of housing and economy.

Andrews, who also serves as a center director and associate dean of research at the Bloustein School, teaches a graduate seminar combining students from the Public Informatics and the Urban Planning and Policy Development programs. The group recently finished a project funded by the National Science Foundation that explored the fiscal impact of coastal hazards. Starting from Sandy Hook, Andrews took the group down the shoreline to Asbury Park.

The students learned about the economies of different shore towns as well. In Sea Bright, they observed a restaurant-centered economy with beach clubs charging upward of $1,000 for seasonal access. In Deal, they encountered neighborhoods dominated by single-family mansions. They encountered a layered, recreational economy in Asbury Park, home to a boardwalk and famous venues like the Stone Pony.

“Each of these towns has a different shore economy … we were trying to understand the elements of (those) economies and the diversity of them,” Andrews said.

From their travels and research, they discovered that seasonality was critical to the reality of housing on the Jersey Shore. For example, Andrew said, a house that is empty in January may be fully occupied in July. Defining the timing of their vacancy was essential to understanding the housing market and its economy. While beaches in New Jersey have attractive amenities, the regularity of storms pose a notable threat, making the area both “high amenity and high risk,” Andrews said.

The group also learned that while there are pockets of affordable housing throughout the shore, some municipalities across the state are actively resisting these obligations. New Jersey has been dealing with the controversy of affordable housing since the 1970s, at the subject of lawsuits. Andrews’ class is motivated by the lack of affordable housing where there are workforce needs along the shore in the summer months.

For the wealthy homeowners, Andrews’ class also discovered more than $2 billion per year is spent on improved housing. He told the Targum that there is continual investment beyond the initial payment on the house.

When reflecting on his class’s experience, Andrews placed much value in being able to witness firsthand the physical and economic nature of different areas along the coast. By driving down the shoreline and observing the empty winter streets, the group confronted the shore in a different light than its peak season.

“The whole idea of experiential learning is that it’s something you’re immersed in, and therefore, in a sense, you’re more likely to believe your own eyes instead of just what’s in the book,” Andrews said.