Acknowledging anti-development sentiments currently simmering at an "all-time high," New York's planning director Marisa Lago defended de Blasio administration policies like mandatory inclusionary housing.
"We're seeing, at least for me, since the '70s, an all-time high in anti-development sentiment," said Marisa Lago, director of New York City's Department of City Planning and head of its City Planning Commission, quoted by Daniel Geiger speaking at a recent event. "A portion of it is the fact that we have had sustained growth for such a long period. Despite the Great Recession, the city has seen steady prosperity," Lago went on.
While that prosperity has spurred the construction of plentiful new housing since 2008, much of it is unaffordable to lower- and middle-income households. But Geiger reports that Lago "took issue with the notion that gleaming new apartment projects amount to gentrification."
Lago defended policies like Mayor de Blasio's mandatory inclusionary housing initiative, passed to combat the gentrification specter. "In recent years the Department of City Planning has pushed through several neighborhood rezonings, which have granted residential projects greater density in return for including permanently affordable units," Geiger writes.
Those upzonings have also come under fire for allegedly targeting lower-income neighborhoods, to which Lago responded that since 2015, 36 percent of new housing was built in the 25 percent of neighborhoods with the highest median incomes.
FULL STORY: City planning czar: Despite mayor's policies, anti-development sentiment at ‘all-time high'
Explained: East New York's Big Zoning Changes
Some residents of East New York argue that mandatory inclusionary zoning and other changes proposed for the neighborhood will only help displace low-income residents.
‘Emergent City’ Documentary Highlights Rare Anti-Gentrification Victory
The film charts the saga of a Brooklyn site called Industry City.
How Cities Are Resisting State Efforts To Increase Density
Cities are attempting to wrest back local control over land use and zoning via some ingenious—and sometimes disingenuous—strategies.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)