Though his "Tale of Two Cities" was the centerpiece of Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign, details on how the candidate plans to narrow New York City's rising inequality have been scarce. With a speech on Friday, he sought to fill in the gaps.
"In a breakfast speech to a prominent civic group, Mr. de Blasio, the Democratic nominee for mayor, called himself 'a progressive activist fiscal conservative' and declared that the city’s 'affordability crisis' was as urgent and serious a civic problem as the turmoil faced after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks," reports Michael M. Grynbaum.
So beyond higher taxes to fund universal pre-K and building more affordable housing, how would de Blasio address the crisis? By bolstering labor unions, raising wages for city workers, making businesses provide more sick days, and "invest[ing] in the city’s colleges and local manufacturing concerns".
"Mr. de Blasio offered repeated, if muted, praise for some of the economic development policies of Mr. Bloomberg, a stark contrast to the denunciations that were a hallmark of his primary campaign," adds Grynbaum. "But he also made clear that he believed the current administration had not gone far enough in expanding affordable housing and social mobility in a city where millions of residents remain under the poverty line."
FULL STORY: With Focus on ‘Affordability Crisis,’ de Blasio Offers His Vision for New York
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
