“If there’s one theme running through all these winners, it’s connectivity,” said Andrew Hendry, the president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Utilities Association and a New Jersey Future trustee, who chaired the selection committee. “These projects connect housing to jobs, jobs to transit, youth to opportunity, residents to amenities, and a city to its future. While all the entries were worthy of consideration, these winners will truly be transformational well beyond their own footprints. Their awards are well deserved.”

Winners will be honored at a celebration on Wednesday, June 5, at the Newark Museum.

Walker House, Newark

A landmarked Art Deco office building repurposed to bring new mixed-income housing to the heart of downtown

Primary Partners: L+M Development Partners; Prudential, Inc.; Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group; Citi Community Capital

Reactivation of a group of long-dormant buildings in an overlooked part of the city, with amenities to serve both students and residents

Primary Partners: Clarke Caton Hintz; Mercer County Community College; City of Trenton; Mercer County

The first new facility of its kind in more than a decade, constructed on formerly blighted land to provide services and support to families in a historically underserved neighborhood

Primary Partners: J.G. Petrucci Co.; TD+Partners; City of Plainfield; Second Street Youth Center

A 22-mile walking and cycling trail connecting a variety of destinations, the result of a broad volunteer collaboration among community leaders, area employers, and local residents

Primary Partners: Mercer County; Township of Lawrence; Township of Hopewell; Bristol Myers Squibb; Lawrence-Hopewell Trail

Repurposing of a vacant Art Deco building into an office and retail anchor to catalyze job creation in a central location in a revitalizing urban downtown

Primary Partners: New Jersey Community Capital; The Hanini Group LLC; City of Passaic

The culmination of a year-long process to update the city’s guiding land-use documents to support growth, preservation and resilience initiatives over the next decade

Primary Partners: City of Hoboken Department of Community Development; City of Hoboken Planning Board; BFJ Planning

Transformation of a long-vacant warehouse into a 21st-century office and retail destination with direct connections to transit, open space and nearby attractions

Primary Partners: Edison Properties, LLC; City of Newark; Newark Community Economic Development Corporation; Perkins Eastman

Founded in 1987, New Jersey Future is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes sensible growth, redevelopment and infrastructure investments to foster vibrant cities and towns, protect natural lands and waterways, enhance transportation choices, provide access to safe, affordable and aging-friendly neighborhoods and fuel a strong economy. The organization does this through original research, innovative policy development, coalition-building, advocacy, and hands-on strategic assistance.

About the Smart Growth Awards

Since 2002, New Jersey Future has honored smart planning and development in New Jersey through the Smart Growth Awards. To date more than 100 plans and projects in every county and statewide have been honored. List and categorized map of winners.