The Smart Growth Policy Council was established by Governor McGreevy's Executive Order No. 4 on January 31, 2002. The Office of Smart Growth serves both the Smart Growth Policy Council and the New Jersey State Planning Commission.

In the Order, the Governor states that the Council will "…ensure that State agencies incorporate the principles of smart growth and the State Plan into their functional plans and regulations…"

The New Jersey State Planning Commission and the Office of State Planning (now the Office of Smart Growth) were established by New Jersey State Planning Act(N.J.S.A. 52:18A-196 et seq.; available for reference at the New Jersey Legislature) which was signed into law on January 5, 1986. The Act called for a State Development and Redevelopment Plan to be prepared through a statewide planning process called cross-acceptance.

In the Act, the Legislature declared that the State of New Jersey needs sound and integrated "statewide planning" to "…conserve its natural resources, revitalize its urban centers, protect the quality of its environment, and provide needed housing and adequate public services at a reasonable cost while promoting beneficial economic growth, development and renewal."

The Act authorizes the State Planning Commission to adopt formal rules and procedures to govern its actions.

The process of planning in New Jersey is also governed by these other statutes:

• New Jersey Fair Housing Act
• New Jersey County Planning Act [pdf 103k]
• New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law
• New Jersey Brownfield and Contaminated Site Remediation Act
• Smart Growth Ombudsman Act [pdf 124k]
• Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) [pdf 213k]
• Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Act [pdf 89k]

For further information on any New Jersey State laws and pending legislation, including status reports and full text retrieval, see the New Jersey Legislature Web site or call the Legislative Information and Bill Room toll-free (in New Jersey) at 800-792-8630.