News
Nurturing a Passion to Create Resilient Communities
“When deciding to apply to graduate school, it was important that I started with the end in mind.I knew what my goal was, so I had to figure out what path would get me there. I was delighted to learn that my alma mater offered the very program that I needed to achieve my goals, with one of the best urban planning programs in this region. I chose the urban planning/public informatics track at Rutgers’ Bloustein School because it bridges the ideas and plans for what can be done with the technical skills needed to put them into action. With every class that I take, I immediately see the practical application and feel more equipped to step out into the workforce.”
University Graduate Shifts From Student Leader to Civic Educator
“I am so excited to see Rida continue to create spaces for young people to be change agents in this new role,” said Longo, noting how Kadri’s role as a civic educator builds on her studies and engagement as a student at Rutgers.
Leadership Change at Heldrich Center
Andrea Hetling, Ph.D., has been appointed director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, effective September 1, 2026. She succeeds Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., who founded the Heldrich Center in 1998.
Bloustein Graduate Studio Report Wins 2026 NJPO Achievement in Planning Award
A Bloustein School spring 2026 graduate studio report, Advancing Climate Resilience Through Municipal Land Use Planning, is the recipient of a 2026 New Jersey Planning Officials Achievement in Planning Award.
Why Trump wants H-1B skilled worker visas to cost employers more than $100,000
“These wage levels that are set, they don’t reflect what is the actual market wage – meaning what employers are paying in markets for the given level of talents,” Salzman said.
Comments on OMB research rule mysteriously removed from federal website
“It’s very weird because there’s no legal implication to those [comments] being on or off of regulations.gov,” said Stuart Shapiro
Sharanya Sahu (MCRP ’27) Named FCNY Community Planning Fellow
Sharanya Sahu, MCRP ’27, was selected as a Community Planning Fellow for the Fund for the City of New York (FCNY) for the 2026-27 academic year. Sharanya is a student research associate with the Ralph W. Voorhees Center for Civic Engagement and interested in affordable housing, land use, and environmental analytics.
NJ’s July job losses were ‘striking,’ reflecting national trend
“The magnitude of the July dip (and the downward revisions for June) is somewhat striking,” said Will Irving, a professor at the New Jersey State Policy Lab at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
Incentivizing E-bikes in NJ: Lessons from E-bike Rebate Programs in North America
Among the findings, researchers recommended that the NJDOT run demo events with local advocacy groups to get residents to try e-bikes and learn about the new state law.
Hetling and Aguas Reflect on the 30th Anniversary of TANF
As TANF turns 30, it is time to replace misguided conversations about fraud with dialogue rooted in dignity. That shift demands a person‑centered process, and one that allows frontline staff to serve as partners rather than gatekeepers.
Applying Data Science Beyond the Tech World
“I was interested in applying data science to real world problems and was having a hard time finding a program that did that until I came across the MPI program at Bloustein. On a technical level, the MPI taught me how to manipulate data to solve problems. This became very useful for interpreting the administrative data I work with now. On a professional level, it taught me how to discuss and present data in an impactful way, which allows me to better communicate to the administrative staff who use the tools I develop.”
NJSPL Report Release: Advancing Language Equity in Chatbot Design for NJ’s Public Services
This new report examines how chatbots are used to deliver public information, where language equity gaps can occur, and how a prototype chatbot can support more equitable access to New Jersey’s SNAP services for English- and Spanish-speaking households