BFJ was tasked with preparing a new land-use element as part of a multi-consultant effort to update parts of the Jersey City Master Plan. Since the completion of its 2000 master plan, the city has seen broad-based economic growth with employment and income gains and significant development activity. This growth has also generated shifts in the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the city. The land-use element reflects these changes and identifies desired concepts for land use, development, and urban design for the next 20 years in the most recent master plan that was adopted in 2022. The land-use element incorporates principles like neighborhood-scaled contextual planning; smart growth; mobility for all users; preservation of valuable historic, scenic, and environmental assets; reinforcement of retail and commercial uses at a variety of scales; and support for a range of housing opportunities serving residents of varying ages and incomes. The land use element examines urban design challenges that are unique to Jersey City—some at the neighborhood level, but many that cross-cut across city geographies and which require a combination of design and regulatory strategies.

The full Jersey City Master Plan also included a new open-space and community-facilities element. Since its 2022 adoption, the city has implemented a significant first phase of recommended zoning updates. BFJ subsequently worked with the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation to update the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) Strategic Plan, leading a stakeholder engagement effort that involved special improvement districts, elected officials, and local business advocacy groups. That plan was locally adopted in November, 2024, and approved by the state in early 2025.