Are Social and Economic Justice Planning Outcomes?

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Planning Commission Chair Carl Weisbrod while promising planning decisions that produce economic and social justice benefits. The question is to what degree planning can influence those outcomes.

2 minute read

February 15, 2014, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


When Mayor De Blasio announced Carl Weisbrod as New York City’s new planning commission chair, the mayor talked about the need for planning to focus on revitalization and affordable housing. According to an editorial by David Bragdon, the new mayor also implied key distinctions between Weisbrod’s mission and the approach of the previous planning commission chair, Amanda Burden.

Bragdon’s article challenges the notion that De Blasio’s approach can achieve the intended effects, starting with a more positive appraisal of Burden’s work: “[Burden] rezoned areas of the city for more housing and championed greater public spaces for all. Most of the districts she rezoned were chosen because of their good existing transit access, while rezoning of the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront was conditioned on the provision of new transit, ferries.”

The problems with De Blasio’s expectations, according to Bragdon, are those of causality: “Zoning and regulation – the main tools the planner has – create the physical setting for economic success and social justice, but can’t directly create those outputs. The zoning code can allow the theoretical capacity for more affordable apartments to be built, but it takes investment to actually build them.”

Here’s the rub, according to Bragdon: “Given these limitations, a worrisome portent in assigning the Department of City Planning the job of ‘addressing inequality’ is that such a mission could encourage random interventions in the hyper-specific development review process, rather than strategic action in the planning process.”

Tuesday, February 11, 2014 in TransitCenter

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

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

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.

May 7, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person in yellow safety suit and white helmet kneels to examine water samples outdoors on a lake shore.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure

If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

May 1, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Aerial view of Freeway Park cap park over I-5 interstate freeway in Seattle, Washington at night.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

April 30, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Person stepping over hole in sidewalk.

Portland Council Tentatively Approves Sidewalk Repair Plan

The proposal would address sidewalk needs in Portland’s District 1 and District 4.

3 hours ago - Oregon Public Broadcasting

6-story building at Honolulu Community College.

Expanding Access to Design Education at Honolulu Community College

Honolulu Community College’s Architecture, Engineering & Construction Technologies program highlights the role of community colleges in preparing nontraditional students for careers in architectural and construction technologies.

4 hours ago - University of Hawai'i News

"Radiation Zone, Keep Out" sign on wood post with red Arizona desert mesa in background

Integrating Human Rights Into Energy and Extractive Sector Transitions

Why just transition efforts must move beyond economic considerations by embedding human rights principles into business practices to ensure equitable, transparent, and accountable outcomes for affected communities and workers.

5 hours ago - Cambridge University Press

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.