Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Name	Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Established	1992
Type	Public
Parent	Rutgers University–New Brunswick
City	New Brunswick
State	New Jersey
Country	United States
Dean	Patricia A. Kelly

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy is a professional school at Rutgers University–New Brunswick named after Edward J. Bloustein. The school offers graduate and undergraduate programs in urban planning, public policy, and related areas, and it operates interdisciplinary research centers that engage with state and national issues. It maintains partnerships with municipal governments, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private firms across the United States.

History

The school's origins trace to Rutgers' expansion in the late 20th century under Edward J. Bloustein and subsequent administrative leadership linked to Rutgers University–New Brunswick and New Jersey higher education reforms. Early program development intersected with initiatives by Thomas Kean, Jim Florio, and regional planning efforts involving Newark, Jersey City, and Camden. During the 1990s the school engaged with projects associated with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, and Federal Highway Administration programs, collaborating with municipal entities such as New Brunswick, Elizabeth, and Paterson. Partnerships included exchanges with faculty from Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton University, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania, and ties to policy debates featuring figures like Christine Todd Whitman and Jon Corzine. The school expanded research links to agencies including National Science Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and nonprofit partners like Ford Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Over time, it has hosted conferences with scholars from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, University of Chicago, and Duke University.

Academic Programs

The school offers graduate degrees such as the Master of City and Regional Planning, Master of Public Policy, and doctoral programs with faculty advisors from Rutgers University School of Law–Newark, Rutgers School of Social Work, and Rutgers Graduate School of Education. Curriculum components draw on coursework linked to practitioners from American Planning Association, Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, and accreditation by bodies analogous to Planning Accreditation Board. Students undertake practicum placements with organizations including New Jersey Transit, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Trenton Health Team, Urban League of Essex County, and consulting firms like AECOM and McKinsey & Company. Electives and joint degrees have been offered in collaboration with Rutgers Business School, Mason Gross School of the Arts, and international programs involving London School of Economics and Sciences Po. Alumni have pursued careers at institutions such as U.S. Census Bureau, United Nations, World Bank, Brookings Institution, and Kaiser Family Foundation.

Research Centers and Institutes

The school hosts centers that focus on urban research, public policy analysis, and environmental planning, collaborating with partners including Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Bloustein Local Government Research Center, Edward J. Bloustein School Center for Survey Research, and allied units working with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. Research initiatives have engaged scholars from Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Urban Institute, RAND Corporation, Economic Policy Institute, and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Projects have addressed transportation with input from Federal Transit Administration and Metropolitan Transportation Authority, housing with links to National Low Income Housing Coalition, and resilience planning with collaborations involving Federal Emergency Management Agency and American Red Cross. The school’s labs have partnered with technology firms such as Esri, IBM, and Google for spatial analysis and with media organizations including NJ Advance Media and The Star-Ledger for public engagement.

Admissions and Student Life

Admissions processes align with graduate standards at Rutgers Graduate School–New Brunswick and often require GRE scores, letters from professionals at organizations such as Department of Housing and Urban Development or New Jersey Department of Education, and statements referencing internships with entities like City of Philadelphia or New York City Department of City Planning. Financial support includes fellowships funded by foundations such as Pew Charitable Trusts and Carnegie Corporation of New York, and assistantships connected to projects with Rutgers Center for Urban Policy Research and Johnson & Johnson. Student life features involvement in student organizations including chapters of American Planning Association Student Conference, Public Management Association, and university-wide groups like Rutgers Student Assembly. Extracurricular opportunities include practicum placements with Habitat for Humanity, internships at State of New Jersey, and study-abroad terms with University College London and Helsinki University.

Faculty and Administration

Faculty include scholars with appointments in interdepartmental roles linked to Rutgers School of Law–Camden, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and visiting professorships from institutions like Columbia Business School, Georgetown University, and Cornell University. Administrative leadership reports through Rutgers' provost and has included collaborations with state officials such as Governor Phil Murphy and advisory panels involving New Jersey Economic Development Authority and New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Faculty research has been published in journals with editorial boards connected to Journal of the American Planning Association, Policy Studies Journal, Urban Affairs Review, and cited by panels convened by National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Notable Alumni and Impact

Alumni have assumed leadership roles at organizations including New Jersey Transit, Environmental Defense Fund, Trenton Municipal Government, City of Newark, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Kresge Foundation, and academic posts at Rutgers University–Camden and Princeton University. Graduates have influenced policy decisions tied to initiatives such as Stronger New Jersey Recovery, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Newark Watershed Conservation Plan, and municipal reforms in Camden County. The school’s graduates and research have been cited by media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Politico for work on urban revitalization, transportation equity, and public health policy.

Category:Rutgers University