City Council Holds First Hearing on Permanent Open Restaurants Plan

Many elected officials raised concerns about DOT’s ability to handle the scale and capacity of a citywide permanent open restaurants program. On February 8, 2022, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a joint hearing with the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection on the proposed permanent open restaurant program. The proposed permanent open restaurant program will replace the temporary program and establish a new streamlined program for the creation, management and enforcement <Read More>


Mayor’s Office Announces Dozens of Resilient Building and Infrastructure Projects

On November 22, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the creation of a new pilot program to design and construct projects utilizing the NYC Climate Resiliency Design guidelines. The guidelines provide technical guidance for engineers and architects in the design of buildings, roads, sewer systems, public housing, and other forms of public infrastructure to anticipate worsening impacts from climate change including flooding, storm surge and intense heat.


DDC Provides Progress on Completion of Part of East Side Coastal Resiliency Floodwall

The phased construction of the project ensures there will still be parkspace and waterfront accessible to residents during the duration of the project. On October 6, 2021, the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced the completion of 500 feet of floodwall as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR). The new floodwall has been installed in the area north of Stuyvesant Cove Park along the East River. The ESCR project is … <Read More>


City Furthers Progress on Downtown Far Rockaway Reconstruction

The project will enhance economic opportunity for Queens residents and prevent future flooding. On August 2, 2021, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the Departments of Environmental Protection, Transportation, and Design and Construction announced the completion of Phase 1 of a $139 million project to revitalize Downtown Far Rockaway’s infrastructure. Phase 1 was completed ahead of schedule, 21 months after the project was first announced.


City Council Passes Three Bills for Tenants Rights to Counsel and Privacy

Free representation in housing court for low income tenants will now be available citywide. On April 29, 2021, the City Council passed three bills advancing tenants rights. Two of the bills focus on expanding the right to counsel in housing court for tenants citywide and an outreach program to notify tenants of their rights. The third bill focuses on tenant data privacy. All three bills were sponsored by Council Member Mark Levine. 


Reducing Racial Bias Embedded in Land Use Codes

Even though the Supreme Court struck down race-based land use controls over a hundred years ago in Buchanan v. Warley, 245 U.S. 60 (1917) it has long been known that zoning continues to create or increase racial and economic segregation. Today communities across the U.S. are reexamining their zoning regulations to create more equal, equitable, inclusive, and resilient communities by removing requirements, limitations, or prohibitions that disproportionately and negatively impact individuals based on race … <Read More>