Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing ahead with a controversial approval step for hotel development, despite the warnings of city budget office staff about the long-term consequences of the move.
"New York City leaders, led by Mayor Bill de Blasio, are closing in on a controversial plan to drastically restrict hotel development," report Dana Rubinstein and J. David Goodman.
"The mayor wants to require City Council approval for any new hotel, anywhere in the city — a layer of scrutiny otherwise reserved for neighborhood-altering projects such as airports, helipads, racetracks, large stadiums and drive-in movie theaters."
According to the article, the mayor justifies the proposed discretionary approval on the increased traffic and activity caused by hotels. Critics of the plan says similar discretionary approvals have gutted hotel development in the city in the recent past.
City budget officials are among the voices suggesting that the special permits proposed for hotel development would "eventually leave New York with insufficient hotel capacity, potentially costing $350 million by 2025 and as much as $7 billion by 2035 in lost taxes," report Rubinstein and Goodman, based on a confidential budget office report leaked to The New York Times.
Planetizen first picked up news of the proposed special permits for hotel development in December 2020.
FULL STORY: A $7 Billion Mistake? New York Seeks to Curb New Hotels.
Small Hotels a Non-Starter After Zoning Change in New York City
A local labor organization wanted larger hotels to help workers create unions, so they sought a zoning change to make it harder to develop smaller hotels in light manufacturing zones.
de Blasio Balancing Act Puts Manufacturing Jobs, Hotel Industry Interest in the Balance
The New York Times reports details about the de Blasio Administration's negotiations concerning land use regulations that will impact industrial and hotel business. With a re-election campaign looming in 2017, the story reveals a lot about the politi
One Year, Zero Conversions: New York Revamps its Hotels-to-Housing Program
The Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act (HONDA) was intended to convert dormant hotels into sorely needed housing. So far the law hasn’t worked as intended.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie