For the first time, New Jersey’s landscape is covered more by housing and shopping malls rather than forests, the real consequence of the “two most sprawling decades” ever, a report being released today concludes. The study, a collaboration between Rowan and Rutgers universities, analyzed land use data between 1986 and 2007 and estimates the state could run out of open space around 2050 if the pace of development that took place in the sprawl years continued.
“There’s less than a million acres left,” said John Hasse, a professor at Rowan University and a co-author of the report. “We have our last 20 percent.
But at the same time, some real estate observers predict the current recession and underlying demographic trends will radically alter development in New Jersey away from the suburbs, slowing down McMansion-style lots in the future. Full Story in Star Ledger.
Lakewood is proof of this , will not be happy untill the last tree is cut down and replaced by town houses
Was this study based on Lakewood? Many years ago, Lady Bird Johnson named Lakewood, TREE CITY USA, now it would be call TOWNHOUSE CITY, USA
As a Lakewood resident for the last 18 years I must say that we are completely overbuilt.
I thank G-d for the summer so that I can travel 1 mile on Route 9 south of the Lake in three minutes instead of the fifteen minutes it usually takes during the year.
Where is the seychel?
We need better planning.
And BTW to those that criticize Lakewood and only Lakewood, I say take a look at Jackson. Toms River. They too are no better. The only difference is that Lakewood has more townhouses but as a matter of being overbuilt, all towns share that problem.
You don’t have to be an environmentalist to appreciate open space. I think that each town should have it. It is good for health.
Even Manhattan has open space.
Could you imagine what Central Park is worth?
But someone in city was smart and said that we need open space. That is why central park exist. It is great that someone had the foresight to see the benefit of trees and grass instead of buildings.
Now, let all towns in Ocean County do the same.
Just my opinion.
i cant read the articles can you please fix
Lakewood also has parks.I care a lot more about those who have nowhere to live than about trees.And if you moved or settled in Lakewood in the past twenty years you knew that Lakewood would be experiencing exponential growth before you got here.I marvel at the hypocrisy of those who live in what was new construction themselves
complaining about Lakewood being too built up
#3 you are absolutely right. My only question, which has been asked many many times by other individuals is, If there are so many more houses, and abundantly so much more tax revenue coming in to the town, then where is it all going? we need transparency!
to # 5
the reason your taxes don’t go down is explained in the rest of the article on the star ledgers website, when you build all of these large houses off the grid you end up with a few homes taking up a large area of land which brings in less taxes and uses more services than a lot of houses on a small tract of land, thats what we have here in Lakewood
to # 4 Been a lot longer than twenty years long before anyone else posting here and was only eigth houses on my street ,never did i think this town would end up looking like the slum it has turned into
Come on, guys. Be realistic. This not a permanent situation for us. The more the merrier. Let ’em all come and share with us what Lakewood has to offer. Bring ’em on down! Build as much as you want! People, you must have some trust in H’! Yo, it ain’t that much longer now…
If we would stop knocking down trees I would be out of a job so please keep on building and to all those investors who own the real slums and rent out their houses to drug dealers please sell out even at a loss (who cares its not your money anyways – its the banks money) to the developers so we can have more new trees and less working and then maybe we can have 10 weeks out of a year on vacation
Let’s hear your views gentlemman
we have parks, rokefellers park and pine park. whats wrong with that
Ok tell me why people move here from the city and then complain ?
just stay in the city ,i moved here many, many years ago to get away from city life and now thats what the town fathers want to have here so maybe time to move again
move to orange or sulivan county ny you will never run out of trees