Meet New York City's First Regional Planning Director

A city planning office with a regional focus? Such a rare beast is real in New York City. There's even a new leader at the helm of the operation.

1 minute read

May 11, 2016, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


East River

Songquan Deng / Shutterstock

"New York City is getting its first regional planning director," reports Dana Rubinstein. The new leader of the city's regional planning office is Carolyn Grossman Meagher.

Rubinstein also reported the news of the creation of the regional planning office in October 2015. As far as anyone knows, or is willing to say, in New York, the city's office of regional planning is unique among planning office around the country. The office was created as a park of OneNYC, "the sustainability framework formerly known as PlaNYC."  

Expectations for the office that Grossman Meagher will now lead are high. "Infrastructure types, who routinely bemoan the lack of regional coordination on everything from transportation to housing, hailed the city’s recognition that it is, in fact, not an isolated city-state," according to Rubinstein.

Friday, May 6, 2016 in Politico New York

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

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.

June 4, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

White and yellow DART light rail train in Dallas, Texas with brick building in background.

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process

The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

May 28, 2025 - Mass Transit

Aerial view of large complex of apartment buildings surrounded by fall foliage trees in suburban Dallas, Texas.

Renters Now Outnumber Homeowners in Over 200 US Suburbs

High housing costs in city centers and the new-found flexibility offered by remote work are pushing more renters to suburban areas.

June 6 - Point2

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6 - PC Magazine

Worker in hard hat stands in front of oil pipeline under construction with yellow heavy equipment.

Supreme Court Ruling in Pipeline Case Guts Federal Environmental Law

The decision limits the scope of a federal law that mandates extensive environmental impact reviews of energy, infrastructure, and transportation projects.

June 5 - NPR

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.