Will New York City Go On A 'Zoning' Diet?

Following in the footsteps of cities in California, Michigan, and Massachusetts, the New York City Council majority leader is throwing his weight behind a proposal to restrict the number of high-calorie, fast-food giants in the city's neighborhoods.

2 minute read

September 25, 2006, 11:00 AM PDT

By davarnado


"In June, Councilman Joel Rivera, chairman of the City Council’s Health Committee, proposed limiting the number of fast-food establishments in New York by changing the zoning laws. He expected to have a piece of legislation to present to the Council in a few months, after holding a hearing and conferences on obesity."

"About 1 in 5 New Yorkers is obese, according to the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A 2003 survey of nearly 3,000 New York elementary school children found that 24 percent were obese and 19 percent were overweight."

"The idea was quickly ridiculed by many. 'Nanny-State Nonsense' read the headline of a New York Post editorial in July. Mitchell L. Moss, a professor of urban planning at New York University criticized the plan for creating more problems than solutions. "I don’t think New Yorkers should let the City Council of New York determine what they eat and where they eat."

"J. Craig Shearman, a spokesman for the National Council of Chain Restaurants, representing nearly 40 large chain restaurant companies, said that the idea was an abuse of zoning laws and that obesity stemmed from nutrition, diet and personal responsibility, not from food served at quick-service restaurants. "We believe in a level playing field where all establishments are treated the same," he said.

"Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the city’s health commissioner, said in a statement that Mr. Rivera’s plan responds to a real problem â€" an epidemic of obesity in poor neighborhoods â€" but that "various approaches need to be explored in terms of their legality and potential effectiveness."

Thanks to D. A. Varnado, AICP

Sunday, September 24, 2006 in The New York Times

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

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

2 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

4 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

6 hours ago - InTransition Magazine