Battle Over Housing In New York's Wealthiest Zip Code

Largely low-rise and industrial, Manhattan's once gritty but now chic TriBeCa neighborhood is facing pressure from developers who are hoping to profit from its desirability by building new high-rise apartments.

1 minute read

August 14, 2006, 7:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"The neighborhood of TriBeCa has undergone a sea change in the last two or three decades, with luxury towers and converted apartment lofts replacing the factories and warehouses that once dominated the gritty, low-rise area.

The neighborhood is now part of the richest ZIP code in New York City and the 12th richest ZIP code in the country, according to a recent study by Forbes. Currently, only about 18% of north TriBeCa is zoned for residential use, and the development community is hoping to cash in on the seemingly insatiable demand for luxury housing."

A new proposal to upzone a four-block area of the community to allow for a 100 foot high residential building has mobilized opponents in the community, who want to preserve the areas low-rise character.

Sunday, August 13, 2006 in The New York Sun

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

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.

June 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Woman and young girl looking at subway map, woman pointing.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?

Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

June 9, 2025 - John Pobojewski

Map of EV charging ports in rural U.S. communities.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America

With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

1 hour ago - The Daily Yonder

Google street view of Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn with pedestrians crossing a crosswalk and cyclist in the bike lane.

Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal

Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.

2 hours ago - StreetsBlog NYC

Close-up of cracked and damaged two-lane roadway with double yellow stripes on a bright sunny day.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?

With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

June 19 - Transportation for America