The Center for Urban Policy Research (CUPR) undertook this study on behalf of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in alignment with legislation directing the NJBPU to conduct a study on the feasibility, marketability, benefits, and costs of implementing large-scale geothermal heat pump systems in the state (P.L. 2023, c.328).
Topic
Research, Publications, and Reports
VTC Report: The Evolution of NJ TRANSIT Funding
The Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) has released a new report examining the history of public transit funding in New Jersey and its lasting implications for system performance today. This work was sponsored by NJ TRANSIT to document how past funding...
Chen et al. Examine Alcohol, Cannabis, and HIV Risk
This review highlights substantial heterogeneity in how alcohol and cannabis co-use is conceptualized and mea-sured. Few studies examined simultaneous use specifically or disentangle co-use from broader polysubstance patterns
Lindenfeld Investigates LFO Impacts on Health Outcomes
This article describes what is known in the literature around LFOs, presents a framework outlining hypothesized pathways linking LFOs to health outcomes, discusses gaps in research related to public health costs and outcomes, and highlights critical areas for future research.
Heldrich Center: Motivational Texts and Unemployment
“This is a group that’s experiencing real life hardship — this period of unemployment, of having to receive unemployment insurance benefits, not knowing what their future looks like. I would love to see that qualitative component … Maybe it did make a little bit of difference in how they felt about their experience knowing that they had a little more motivation,” Walsh said.
State Planning Commission Adopts NJ State Plan, Needs Assessments
The New Jersey State Planning Commission has adopted an updated State Plan, along with a new Impact Assessment and Infrastructure Needs Assessment, marking the first comprehensive update since 2001. The Plan will guide coordinated state and local decision-making on land use, transportation, housing, infrastructure, and climate adaptation.
Zhang et al. Assess Greenspace and CVD Risk Using Nurses
This study demonstrates that disaggregating greenspace is critical for understanding its cardiovascular effects. In a large, nationwide prospective cohort, higher exposure to street-view visible trees was associated with lower cardiovascular disease incidence, while grass and other low-lying greenspace were associated with higher risk.
Grafova and Williams Examine Medical Debt in New Study
In this analytic sample, 4.4 % of households experienced the onset of low or medium medical debt, and 1.2 % experienced the onset of high medical debt between the 2019 and 2020 waves of the PSID.
Peck, Co-Authors Evaluate Studies Designed to Detect Earnings Impact
This article reports empirical evidence to support the design of evaluations that estimate the impacts of programs that provide postsecondary credentials and/or job training on earnings.
New Jersey Target Zero Commission Adopts Action Plan
On Monday, December 15, 2025, the New Jersey Target Zero Commission officially adopted the first New Jersey Target Zero Action Plan, reaching a major milestone in the State’s goal to eliminate all roadway fatalities and serious injuries in the state by 2040. The New Jersey Target Zero Action Plan is now publicly accessible via the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Target Zero Webpage.