NYC Zoning Reform: Where Will It Have an Impact?

An article in Bloomberg CityLab by Sarah Holder, Nacha Cattan, and Marie Patino outlines where new housing could be built in New York City under the recently adopted City of Yes zoning reform plan.

For the city’s landscape, it’ll mean mostly subtle changes — a few extra stories here, a granny flat there, or apartments carved from existing, undesirable office towers. In total, the city estimates about 80,000 new units will be built over the next 15 years.

Part of the plan tackles properties near transit stations, which will be allowed to add up to five stories in certain areas. Buildings with ground-floor retail will be able to add up to four stories of housing in commercial corridors. However, restrictions still apply in some of the city’s lowest-density neighborhoods, including parts of Riverdale in the Bronx and Floral Park in Queens.

City of Yes also permits accessory dwelling units — with restrictions in low-density, historic, and flood-prone areas. “Those kinds of limitations will steeply limit the amount of ADUs that can be built, according to the Regional Plan Association. It estimates under 20,000 ADUs will be built over the next 15 years, less than half of the amount envisioned by the original proposal, which didn’t have as many parameters.”

The new rules seek to make office conversion easier by allowing buildings built before 1991 to be converted, which the city expects will yield 20,000 new units of housing.