New Jersey's Existing and Potential Development

Land development has become one of the most important issues in New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the United States. This map of existing and potential areas of development within the state was prepared by employees of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as a planning tool to facilitate discussion and analysis inside and outside of the department about the consequences of development.

Information from the map was used to support the passage of the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, which was signed into law on August 10, 2004. This historic legislation instituted protective environmental standards on a 1,250-square-mile area of northern New Jersey known as the Highlands region. The region, which covers portions of seven counties and 88 municipalities, is the source of approximately one-third of the drinking water used in the state.

The methodology used to prepare the map is now being refined and expanded to perform a build-out and water supply demand analysis of Cape May County, New Jersey. The work in Cape May County is part of a study of sustainable water supply alternatives to address saltwater intrusion and potential ecological impacts associated with water supply diversions.