A new research brief by Jonathan Delura, Senior Research Specialist, Center for Urban Policy Research for the New Jersey Climate Change Research Center details a novel approach for estimating the extent and depth of roadway inundation using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) derived roadway surface elevations. A desktop analysis was conducted utilizing this approach to provide a first order assessment of coastal flooding impacts under current and future flood scenarios for New Jersey.
Topic
New Jersey
New Jersey economy expected to trail U.S. growth for next 2 years, Rutgers report says
Authors Will Irving and Tarun Arasu, both of Rutgers, expect employment growth to rebound to 0.5% in 2027 and eventually outpace the national rate over the medium term.
A Progressive Perspective: June 30 Mercer County Democratic committee members have an important decision
According to Rubin, “New Jersey primary voters are encouraged by the county parties, and conditioned by years of practice to vote for all the candidates on the county line,”
NJSPL: Are Data Centers Raising Your Electric Bill? Mostly Not. Yet.
For now, the evidence suggests that data centers haven’t yet produced large, detectable increases in local electricity bills, but “not yet” is not the same as “nothing to worry about.” New Jersey has the time and opportunity to design rules that protect ratepayers before the next wave of electricity demand arrives at full scale.
New Jersey ranks last in regional business climate report for 8th straight year, while Pennsylvania scores best
“A century ago, we had the European waves of immigration that fed our factories, and now our highly educated workforce fills the high-technology jobs of the present and future,” he said. “In many cases, firms treasure their New Jersey employees and don’t want to lose them by moving out of state, so they do keep operations here.”
New NJSDS Report: Noncredit Education in New Jersey
As more adults pursue nondegree pathways for skill development and career advancement, and with the enactment of Workforce Pell in July 2025, which authorizes Pell Grants for training programs as short as 150 hours or eight weeks, the need for clear definitions and reliable data on noncredit education has become increasingly important. Establishing a standardized system will be key to turning these data into actionable information that helps New Jersey maximize the benefits of Workforce Pell.
“Work Trends RU” Podcast with Margo Chaly
Listen to the latest episode of the Heldrich Center’s Work Trends RU podcast, featuring featuring Margo Chaly, Acting Secretary of the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, about the future of higher education in New Jersey. They discuss key challenges and opportunities facing colleges and universities, including enrollment trends, financial sustainability, workforce alignment, and student success.
NJ’s newly crowded primaries prompt call for ranked choice voting
“The most obvious solution is to adopt ranked choice voting, which also would diminish the power of outside money to propel a single candidate to victory,” said Sass Rubin, the Rutgers professor. “At the very least, the legislature could adopt ranked choice voting for congressional races, which have been attracting the largest numbers of candidates.”
These factors may have affected Samsung’s choice to leave NJ for Texas
Samsung is leaving its Englewood Cliffs, NJ headquarters with 1,200 employees headed to Texas. Rutgers Bloustein School professor James Hughes didn’t mince words: “This is a tough deal for New Jersey. New Jersey has to confront this.” Even top schools and transit access “was not enough to keep them.”
Andrews, et.al assess heat and air quality in low-income housing
Standard air quality and heat monitors don’t capture the full picture, especially for vulnerable residents in low-income public housing. This study uses wearable devices and indoor sensors to reveal stark disparities in real-world exposure to extreme heat and PM2.5 pollution across different groups, with seniors and youth facing the highest risks.