On May 12, 2025, the Department of Buildings celebrated the return of the annual No-Penalty Inspection Program. Now in its 20th year, the summer program offers free safety inspections for homeowners, small business owners, and small landlords citywide. The visual inspections help owners address concerns about safety and conditions on their properties and guidance on how to begin fixing issues.
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Comptroller Audit Shows Racial Disparities in Building Code Enforcement
On April 21, 2025, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s Office released a new report that reveals substantial racial inequities in how the Department of Buildings enforces rules for owners of one- and two-family homes.
An audit of the top ten community districts for penalties showed that homeowners in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods incurred significant fines for building code violations. These penalties were often for unpermitted alterations and default judgments and usually stemmed from … <Read More>
City Announces Rule Changes for Unlawful Dumping on Parks Properties
On March 31, 2025, New York City Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue and other critical stakeholders announced the City has amended a rule to increase penalties for unlawful dumping on Parks properties. An amendment to Section 1-07 of NYC Parks rules, effective March 31, raises the prior $1,000 penalty for a first-time illegal dumping offense to $5,000. There is also a $10,000 fine for each subsequent illegal dumping violation occurring within twelve months of the initial … <Read More>
Land Use Review Reform: Where Democratic Mayoral Candidates Stand on ULURP
By Mark Chiusano
For part two of Cityland’s candidate questionnaire on public space, we asked how the top Democratic mayoral hopefuls would reform the way New York City makes many land use decisions. [Read part one: Outdoor Dining, Open Streets, & Trash Containerization: Where Democratic Mayoral Candidates Stand on Public Space Issues]
Outdoor Dining, Open Streets, & Trash Containerization: Where Democratic Mayoral Candidates Stand on Public Space Issues
By Mark Chiusano
With the 2025 New York City mayoral race in full swing, CityLand sent a brief, initial list of questions to major contenders for the Democratic nomination to get an idea of where the candidates stand on several key public space issues that have been the source of policy shifts and public debate over the last several years: outdoor dining, Open Streets, and trash containerization. The next mayor’s stance on these — and … <Read More>
DDC Celebrates Renovation of Mark A. Constantino Judicial Center in Staten Island
On February 25, 2025, New York City Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley and Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Louis A. Molina announced the completion of the Mark A. Constantino Judicial Center located in Staten Island. The project cost the City $10.7 million and was managed by the Department of Design and Construction on behalf of the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services.