Politico New York reports all the important details on a big day for planning in New York City—as the City Council overwhelmingly approved two controversial zoning changes to help spur the construction of affordable housing.
"After months of opposition throughout the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to require below-market-rate housing when developers get city-issued rezonings won a decisive victory in the City Council on Tuesday," report Sally Goldenberg and Gloria Pazmino.
The article describes the totality of the legislative victory for mayor de Blasio:
Paired with a proposal to overhaul the city’s 55-year-old zoning code, the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing plan passed by a vote of 42-5 and will take effect in the coming days. Zoning for Quality and Affordability, which enables more residential development, passed 40-6 with one abstention.
The article includes the technical details of the approved ordinances, as well as the political coalitions on either sides of the issue. Goldenberg and Pazmino note that the city's planning staff tempered the rhetoric of politicians supporting he ordinances. After paraphrasing one councilmember, who described the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing ordinance as "historic and legacy-building," the reporters cite numbers generated by the Department of City Planning, which "projected it would be responsible for the creation of 12,000 low- to moderate-income apartments —15 percent of the 80,000 the mayor hopes to create by 2024."
Planetizen has covered these issues since Mayor de Blasio announced the ordinances in September 2015, as journalists vetted the proposals, as neighborhood boards rallied in opposition to the proposed zoning changes, and as the de Blasio Administration made the final push for approval.
FULL STORY: Council overwhelmingly approves de Blasio’s plan to rezone the city
Damage Control for New York's Big Zoning Proposals
One of the nation's most ambitious efforts to upzone neighborhoods in the hope of spurring more market rate and affordable housing supply is up for debate in New York City. A lot of people don't like the plan.
Explained: East New York's Big Zoning Changes
Some residents of East New York argue that mandatory inclusionary zoning and other changes proposed for the neighborhood will only help displace low-income residents.
Rezoning Coming to East Harlem
New York City has commenced a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) in the neighborhood of East Harlem. This would be the second rezoning toward Mayor de Blasio's goal for 15 rezonings.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
