The FRESH program, previously offering zoning incentives for grocery store development in 19 districts around New York City, will expand to 11 new locations.
New York City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Marisa Lago yesterday announced the expansion of the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program, which is designed to bring convenient, accessible grocery stores to underserved New York neighborhoods.
The FRESH program was created in 2009, offering property owners zoning incentives for providing including space for supermarkets in new developments located in mixed residential and commercial districts. The program also allows grocery stores as-of-right in light manufacturing districts, increasing the locations where they can be built,' according to a New York Department of City Planning press release.
The program expansion will add 11 additional lower-income community districts to the 19 districts where the FRESH program already applies.
Numerous soundbites included in the press release reference the disparate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black and Latino communities during the pandemic, and the new opportunities for fresh food the program will provide in some of the neighborhoods that experienced the worst of the pandemic's health and economic outcomes during the pandemic.
FULL STORY: FRESH Expansion Will Bring More Green Grocers to Underserved Neighborhoods
Opinion: Lower Rents Will Give Downtown Spaces Back to the ‘Weirdos’
Introducing the “CBGB theory of city planning.”
'Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste' and Planning in the Pandemic
The latest in a series of compendia collecting news and commentary focusing on the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on communities.
New Zoning Incentives for Grocery Store Developments Proposed in New York City
Transit accessibility incentives are also included in a package of zoning reforms proposed this week that would provide incentives for grocery store developments in a wider swath of New York City.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.
Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions