New York City Council Wants Community Engagement to Lead Affordable Housing Development

New York Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams have proposed very different responses to the city’s lack of affordable housing.

2 minute read

December 21, 2022, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Multicolored four-story New York City buildings with storefronts on ground floor

Andrew F. Kazmierski / New York City apartment buildings

The New York City Council released the new “Planning and Land Use Guidelines & Application Toolkit on December 15. The toolkit is intended to produce more community benefits from the land use application process and develop more affordable units.

“The Planning and Land Use Toolkit lists several items the council believes should be considered in each land use decision, such as: expanding engagement with communities, getting the most affordable housing out of each project, offering well-paying jobs to area residents and bettering open space and the streetscape,” according to an article by Ethan Stark-Miller for Brownstoner.

According to a statement by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams that precedes the toolkit, the New York  City Council “is seeking to elevate the role of planning in the land use process.”

The announcement followed just a week after Mayor Eric Adams announced a “Get Stuff Built” plan for housing in the city.

“While the council and the administration are vying to tackle the same issue, in releasing his plan, the mayor put far more emphasis on cutting down on the city’s bureaucracy to maximize overall housing construction – with a goal of building 500,000 new units over the next decade,” explains Stark Miller.

By comparison, the Planning and Land Use Toolkit “focuses on ramping up the amount of community engagement, which could ultimately lengthen the time it takes projects to move through [the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure].”

Monday, December 19, 2022 in Brownstoner

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 28, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and yellow DART light rail train in Dallas, Texas with brick building in background.

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process

The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

May 28, 2025 - Mass Transit

A curb extension at the end of a block landscaped with small shrubs and pink flowers in residential neighborhood.

Nine Ways to Use Curb Space That Aren’t Parking

California’s new daylighting law bans parking within 20 feet of crosswalks. How can cities best use this space?

June 1 - CalBike

White accessory dwelling unit in backyard of small grey home in Seattle, Washington.

ADUs for Sale? San Diego Could Legalize Backyard Condos

As one of 25 proposed amendments, San Diego may soon allow accessory dwelling units to be bought and sold as individual homes.

June 1 - KPBS

View of mostly full parking lot next to multi-story red brick buildings with modern glass skyscraper in background in downtown Dallas, Texas.

Dallas Ditches Parking Minimums in 14-1 Vote

The sweeping city council decision removes set parking requirements from developments downtown, near transit, small businesses and more.

June 1 - Strong Towns

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.