An old idea has new life in the de Blasio Administration—less restrictive air rights regulations for landmarks like St. Patrick's Cathedral.
"The Archdiocese of New York has been working with Central Synagogue and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church for new rules that would allow the two churches and the synagogue—all designated city landmarks—to sell their unused air rights to developers who have properties that aren’t adjacent and may be many blocks away," reports Josh Barbanel.
The rule would be a huge boon to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which, surrounded by tall buildings, is prevented by current air rights regulations from selling its estimated one million square feet of air rights.
According to Barbanel, City Planning Director Carl Wiesbrod recently announced to an "the beginning of a broad review of air rights." The article includes a helpful infographic illustrating how air rights work.
Readers unable to circumvent the Wall Street Journal paywall can find follow up reporting in the New York Business Journal or The Real Deal.
Read the full story: Up in the Air: Development Rights of New York City Landmarks [paywall]
Property Owners Jostle for Deals After Midtown East Rezoning
A flurry of air rights purchases have already begun as large property owners take advantage of Midtown East's upzoning. Some big names include JPMorgan Chase and the Archdiocese of New York.
Fits and Starts for New York City's Special Districts
There has been a lot of breaking news originating from both the Garment District and the Theater District in New York City this week.
$100 Million in Air Rights Sold by New York's Pier 40
The kind of air rights deal only possible in New York City will offer benefits for both parties and, hopefully, the public.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
St. Louis Metro to test if single-car trains can reduce operating costs, maintain rider satisfaction
The pilot program will run from October to spring 2027, and begin with one single-car train operating on Metrolink’s Red and Blue lines.
Pennsylvania is building data centers in abandoned mines
Housing data centers in mines provides an alternative to destroying local forests and may spare residents from data centers’ noise and air pollution.
If Corpus Christi can’t revive desalination plant project, it may owe Texas $235 million
Earlier this month, city officials declined to pursue developing the plant for the second time in a year.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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