News
Dean Shapiro: Simplifying Research Regulations & Policies
Dean Stuart Shapiro served on a committee for a report titled “Simplifying Research Regulations and Policies” for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
International Alumni Welcome New Graduate Students
Current international graduate students and recent international alumni at the Bloustein School warmly welcomed the newest cohort of international students, sharing their experiences and offering valuable advice about navigating life and academics in a new country.
Demystifying science: The more lanes we add, the more cars there are
If motorists had to pay fees to offset the costs of air pollution and climate change caused by motor vehicles, they would not take their cars to take advantage of less congestion, Mr. Noland. Additionally, “if there is space for a railway along the highway, for example, it is cheaper to transport people by public transit than to widen a highway”, he says.
Which North Jersey town is most expensive? Highest average property tax in Bergen, Passaic
But shared services often yield savings only on a case-by-case basis at the local level rather than statewide, said Rutgers’ Pfeiffer, while Ciattarelli’s proposal for an alternating property tax rate could run afoul of the state constitution.
“You can’t give some people a lower rate than other people,” Pfeiffer said. “You have to assess everybody at the same standard.”
Bloustein, Heldrich Center Welcome Laura R. Peck, Ph.D.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy is pleased to announce the appointment of Laura R. Peck, Ph.D., as Associate Professor, effective September 1, 2025.
Dr. Peck will also serve as a Principal Faculty Fellow at the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, housed within the Bloustein School.
Celebrating 25 Years of Alan Voorhees’ Impact on Global Transportation Planning Issues
The Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) was seeking a way to highlight Alan Voorhees’ impact on national and global transportation planning issues. The Alan M. Voorhees Legacy Project provided the path forward.
Since 1988, VTC has been a leader in informing public discussion of transportation policy issues. Committed to conducting research and finding innovative approaches to transportation problems, VTC’s research identifies and explores transportation linkages to public policy areas such as economic development, land use, political governance, finance, and social policy.
Data-Driven Future: The Evolution of Informatics
Informatics applications have long been a part of the Bloustein School’s major areas of study—transportation, environmental management, urban design, mobility, social policy, public management and operations, public health, health administration, and community engagement and empowerment.
The school went on to launch the Master of Public Informatics (MPI) in 2019 to provide a vehicle for students seeking higher-level competencies in the field of big data.
Health Administration: Leadership and Public Service
While the Bloustein School’s founding is recorded as 1992, the development of the school’s undergraduate program can trace its formation to the 1960s with the Urban Studies and Community Development (USCD) major. A growing interest in community health across the United States in the 1970s soon led Rutgers to add a new major in public health administration, with many of the original USCD faculty teaching courses in the area.
By 1980, USCD was renamed the Department of Urban Studies and Community Health (USCH) and offered two undergraduate majors: a pre-professional accredited B.S. in Public Health Administration, and a liberal arts B.A. in Urban Studies.
Creative Cities Design Institute: Partnering Students, Artists, and Urban Planners to Understand Socially-Engaged Design
A generous gift from alumnus Walter C. “Wally” Evans MCRP ’74, helped the Bloustein School create a three-year summer program that introduced resident New Brunswick students to the field of urban planning.
Partnering with coLAB Arts and New Brunswick City Center, the Bloustein School sought to provide an innovative STEAM summer enrichment program to help students develop an understanding of urban planning and public policy solutions through a socially-engaged research and design process.The weeklong intensive program partnered middle school students from New Brunswick public schools with professional urban planners and artists in workshops that included building artful cities, 3D printing, community engagement, and social justice.
Evaluating Policies that Serve New Jersey
Working with more than 180 faculty members and staff, 100 students, and experts from more than 20 centers, schools, and universities across New Jersey, the New Jersey State Policy Lab has launched more than 60 research projects and published over 350 research blogs and 50 reports since 2021.
One of its key objectives has been to establish a network of scholars and research centers within New Jersey institutions of higher education to coordinate state policy research and facilitate collaboration. The NJSPL has forged connections with dozens of universities, schools, and centers within the Garden State and beyond. Its guiding mission is to identify and respond to state government and community needs for effective policy solutions through firsthand research and coordination with relevant experts across the state.
Graduate Virtual Information Sessions | Fall 2025
Tuesday, November 11 @ 6pm (1800) EST: Master of City and Regional Planning Virtual Information Session Tuesday, November 18 @ 6pm (1800) EST: Doctor of Health Administration Virtual Information Session All NYC Area Planning Schools Virtual Open House Join the...
Design and Data: Transforming Urban Mobility
“What I enjoy most about the field of urban planning is that it combines design, data, and the ability to make a difference for communities, helping create fairer and more accessible cities. That’s the kind of work I want to do. My goal is to apply the transportation planning and GIS expertise I’ve developed at Bloustein to design more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable transportation networks that improve quality of life in our communities.”