Take the Green Challenge
Green Community Plan
- Overview
- Goal 1: Healthy Environment
- Goal 2: Healthy People
- Goal 3: Strong Community
- Goal 4: Convenient Transportation
- Goal 5: Fairness & Equity
- Our Objectives
- Action Plan
About Green Highland Park
About Green Highland Park
The Borough Highland Park is well-known as a “green” role-model in New Jersey. As a leading municipality in planning for sustainability, the Green Community Plan is just one of the many initiatives that have come about from Highland Park’s effort to establish a sustainable community.
The State of New Jersey has been developing a statewide sustainability program since 1995, and is now branching out to assist individual communities, such as Highland Park, to do the same.
Highland Park's "Green" Timeline
1995: The Sustainable State Project
Through a partnership between New Jersey Future, a nonprofit statewide research and policy group, the State of New Jersey, and a coalition of business and public interest groups, development of goals and indicators for sustainable development in New Jersey began.
2001: Open Space Inventory
An inventory of Highland Park’s open spaces was created as a tool to inform the public decision making process and make recommendations for preserving open space in the Environmental Commission’s Open Space Plan.
2002: Community Forestry Management Plan
Prepared by the Shade Tree Advisory Committee and certified tree expert Kevin Scibilia, the plan was approved by the New Jersey DEP in 2002, making the Borough eligible for state Community Stewardship Incentive Program grants. The Community Forestry Management Plan provides science-based guidelines for managing the Borough’s street trees.
2002: New Jersey Sustainable State Institute (NJSSI)
NJSSI was formed to continue the effort of tracking sustainability indicators, which began in 1995 by New Jersey Future, on issues of economic, social, and environmental concern that shape the future of our state.
2003: Highland Park 2020
This green planning initiative was devised by Mayor Meryl Frank to guide Highland Park in becoming economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable by the year 2020.
2003: Highland Park Master Plan
The Master Plan has a number of provisions for sustainable planning and smart growth, including the preservation of open space and environmentally sensitive areas.
2006: Smart Future Grant
Highland Park received a Smart Future Grant from the Department of Community Affairs’ Office of Smart Growth, which is given to communities striving to promote sustainable development and rehabilitation while preserving important open spaces and environmental resources. This grant was used in the development of the Highland Park Green Community Plan.
2007: Green Community Plan
The Plan was completed and presented to Borough Council in december 2007. It is available here.