Edgar Lampert and Don Elliott. Photo Credit: CityLand.
On Thursday, April 11, 2013, the Center for New York City Law and the Center for Real Estate Studies at New York Law School presented a Master Class on the 1969 City Planning Commission’s Plan for New York City. Ross Sandler, Director of the Center for New York City Law, found a complete set of the original plans at a recent auction. Mr. Sandler invited two guest speakers to discuss the plan: Donald H. Elliott, who was Chair of the City Planning Commission from 1966-1973, as well as Edgar Lampert, who worked on public development projects in Lower Manhattan in Mayor John Lindsay’s administration.
Elliott discussed how a comprehensive plan was required in order for the City to qualify for federal funding for public housing in the 1960s. In addition, the 1938 City Charter called for a plan but the task had yet to be undertaken. Elliott recalled that the 1969 plan embodied Mayor John Lindsay’s approach to the problems of the City. It was not just a land use plan but a comprehensive plan that attempted to deal with the serious problems that faced the City, and give best judgments and determine best practices for the future. The plan was divided into four major sections: (read more…)
