Mayor Adams says the new plan will cut building processes by 50 percent to accelerate badly needed housing construction, but parts of the proposal still face hurdles to get approved.
A new strategy titled “Get Stuff Built,” announced by New York City Mayor Eric Adams on December 8, takes aim at the city’s housing affordability crisis and pledges to streamline the building process to accelerate housing construction. Maria Torres-Springer, the deputy mayor for economic and work force development, says that enacting all 111 proposed reforms could pave the way for 50,000 new homes in the next ten years.
According to a press release from the city, the plan includes 111 “concrete actions” for increasing the housing supply in three areas: City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR), land use approvals, and building permitting. “These actions will increase the speed and lower the cost of development by accelerating project timelines by 50 percent, ensure environmental protection and meaningful public participation, and stimulate the creation of affordable housing across New York City.”
A New York Times article by Sarah Garland and Dean Chang points out that the plan “faces significant political obstacles,” with some parts of the proposal requiring approval from the City Council or state legislature. Meanwhile, housing advocates say the administration should do more to help tenants stay in their homes, and preservationists worry that accelerating construction could ignore the environmental impacts of new projects and displace current residents.
The Quiet Housing Crisis in Rural America
While housing shortages in major cities are grabbing headlines, rural communities are seeing higher rates of growth in housing prices and a silently spreading homelessness crisis.
Over 40 Percent of U.S. Tenants Are ‘Rent Burdened’
Despite a small downturn in average rents at the end of last year, American renter households continue to struggle with unaffordable housing costs.
Opinion: Los Angeles Needs More Housing, Fast
The shortage of housing at all price points in the region is the main driver of high costs and the growing homelessness crisis.
New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.
Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.
Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.
Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.
Chicagoland Transit Agencies Call for State Funding as Budget Shortfall Looms
Illinois transit agencies want to see changes to a law requiring them to collect half of their revenue from transit fares, arguing that low ridership and staffing shortages will lead to a massive budget gap without intervention.
Panel: Minneapolis Zoning Updates Should Reflect Mixed-Use Future
A discussion of post-pandemic changes in work and commuting concluded that the city’s overhaul of its zoning code should be less restrictive with land uses.
Princeton Planning
City of College Park
Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.
