“It was absolutely shocking to many people that you would take an office building and knock it down, like we used to knock down factories,” said James W. Hughes, a professor at Rutgers. “Now it’s routine.” But in many places, that idea is still settling in. It will...
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COVID-19 is giving many New Jersey suburbs a big boost
Most sectors of the commercial real estate market in New Jersey have been badly hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, but that’s not the case with residential real estate. It turns out home sales in many parts of the Garden State are doing great. According to Rutgers...
Have Office Parks Become Obsolete?
The same demographic trends threatening New Jersey’s malls have left the state with dozens of abandoned office parks—sometimes referred to as “gray fields”—and countless vacancies in suburban office buildings. Lately, however, technology has changed the workplace...
‘Children At Play’ Are Stupid and Dangerous for Suburban Kids there is more
“Crossing signs give you a clear indication of exactly where you should be looking,” LaMondia says. “But with Children At Play signs, you’re always supposed to be watching for children in the roadway. How are you supposed to change your behavior?” That’s the question...
Fleeing suburbia — How NJ towns are trying to attract millennials
Millennials are attracted to the live-work-play environment, explains James Hughes, Rutgers University professor and an expert in New Jersey economics and demographics. Some towns may never be able to provide the lifestyle this cohort needs, but others have unique...
Monmouth Mall's new look
The center included 14 buildings, 50 stores and 600,000-square feet of retail space and was anchored by Bamberger's, the center's biggest retailer when it opened. "Back then suburbanization was in full tilt and malls were automobile-centric with a retail format. If...
Jersey City unemployment rate hits 25-year low
The city says there are 7,000 units under construction now and another 19,000 approved. James W. Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, cited the city's booming residential construction sector as one of the...
Bloustein School, Cushman and Wakefield to host “Future of N.J.’s Suburban Office Campuses,” June 18
Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. and the Bloustein School will host “The Future of New Jersey’s Suburban Office Campuses,” a program for regional investors and developers, on Tuesday, June 18. The program will focus on opportunities to create interactive,...
New Rutgers Regional Report: A retrospective and prospective of NJ’s rental housing market
A new Rutgers Regional Report, “The Evolving Rental Housing Market in New Jersey: Retrospective and Prospective,” authored by James W. Hughes, dean of Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and Joseph J. Seneca, university...
Upcoming Events
2025 Bloustein Alumni Awards Celebration
Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesSince 1994, the Bloustein School Alumni Association has aimed to present awards to accomplished alumni each year. Our goal is to pay tribute to alumni and friends to recognize their […]
RAISE 2025 – Our Future With AI: Utopian or Dystopian?
Gov. James J. Florio Special Events Forum, CSB 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United StatesInformatics - Data Science - AI Competition Step into the future of innovation! RAISE-25 will challenge you to unravel the scope of AI's impact on our lives and human society. […]