News
New Jersey’s rising unemployment makes economic future uncertain
New Jersey’s unemployment rose sharply in 2023, leaving economic experts wondering whether a rocky road is ahead in the new year. The state unemployment rate climbed from 3.4% in January to 4.7% in November, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. November’s...
Bloustein Graduate Planning Studio Presents Recommendations to Dunellen Mayor and Borough Council
In mid-December, a Bloustein School graduate redevelopment studio hosted public presentations in Dunellen, NJ for the mayor and borough council, and for the redevelopment community meeting.
Let’s Keep Focus on “The Line” in NJ Politics
If you’re not in-the-know, The Line is where you want to be on the ballot if you’re running for office in New Jersey. Candidates granted The Line by NJ’s political gatekeepers are almost assured of victory, especially in a primary election. That’s why NJ’s powerful political machines invest so much time and treasure into determining who gets the line and (perhaps more importantly) who doesn’t.
Reimagining Circulation in Somerset County, NJ
This Studio Class has worked with the Somerset County Office of Planning, Policy and Economic Development to explore strategies that would complement and leverage the new vision for public transportation in Somerset County.
Dayana Toledo-Mendoza, MPI ’23
Nonprofit Maven and Rising Public Informatics Star Meet Dayana T., a dedicated professional at Rutgers University making waves in the nonprofit sector and a Master of Public Informatics graduate student at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers....
New Research on Racial Discrimination and Mental Health Co-Authored by Chen, Williams and Cantor
The present study examines the differential associations of racial discrimination and mental health based on an individual’s race, ethnicity, foreign-born status, and educational attainment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Senate Candidate Accused of Nepotism Has Another Edge: The Ballot
No New Jersey legislative incumbent chosen to run on the county line in all of the counties he or she represented has lost a primary election since 2009, according to a recent study by a Rutgers University professor, Julia Sass Rubin.
NJSPL – New Jersey Population Growth Recovers
This month, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual state population estimates, revealing that New Jersey is resuming population growth after experiencing a decline of nearly 30,000 residents since the 2020 Decennial Census. The increase of just over 30,000 residents (0.3%) in 2023 as of the Bureau’s July 1 estimate brings the state population to slightly above the April 1 2020 decennial base.
Elana Simon, MPI ’22
First-Gen. Grad and Energy Analytics TrailblazerElana Simon, Senior Research Fellow - Center for Law, Inequality, and Metropolitan Equity, is a 2022 MCRP-MPI graduate of the Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Through a careful...
NJCCRC to Host Webinar 1/23/24 to Introduce Newest Data-Visualization and Mapping Tools
New Jersey residents and planners alike have a new set of decision-support tools to help prepare their communities for climate change, thanks to a suite of data-visualization and mapping tools developed at Rutgers University’s New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center.
Bar part-time officials from full-time perks, incoming N.J. lawmaker says
“That doesn’t excuse individuals who have consciously abused the system,” said Pfeiffer, now a professor at Rutgers University. “But there are probably any number of cases where elected officials can spend 30, 35 hours a week in their job as an unpaid or low-paid elected official.
EJB Talks–Navigating a Politically Turbulent 2023 and the Ominous Prelude to 2024
We’re closing EJB Talks for the year with a discussion of the tumultuous political events of 2023, including the chaotic dynamics within the Republican Party, the potential ramifications of Kevin McCarthy’s replacement as Speaker of the House, the ongoing challenges in passing crucial legislation, and more.











