Completed in September 2026, Rutgers collaborated with eight municipalities to develop Climate Change-Related Hazard Vulnerability Assessments (CCRHVAs) in alignment with the NJ Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL). The MLUL was amended in 2021 to require a CCRHVA as part of the land use plan element of a municipal Master Plan. A CCRHVA must identify and analyze:
- Local climate hazards;
- Vulnerability of local assets, infrastructure, and populations;
- Impacts to Master Plan elements and other local plans; and
- Potential strategies to reduce risk.
Rutgers’ interdisciplinary team included researchers, GIS analysts, community engagement specialists, and graduate students from Bloustein’s Center for Urban Policy Research – Environmental Analysis and Communications Group and Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center – Placemaking, Outreach and Engagement Team, as well as the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center. The team used locally tailored data and stakeholder input to develop the CCRHVAs, which are intended to help each community identify land use and zoning approaches to increase resilience to climate change impacts.
This project was supported by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Resilient NJ Municipal Assistance Program. In addition to providing free technical assistance to municipalities, the project helps establish statewide planning guidance with quality CCRHVA examples and documentation of effective practices.