City Planning Commission to Vote on MIH and ZQA Tomorrow, February 3rd

The votes will be taken at the Commission’s public meeting at 22 Reade Street in Manhattan.  On February 3, 2016, the City Planning Commission will be voting on whether to recommend approval or denial of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability zoning proposals.  City Planning’s vote will be the first taken since the community boards responded negatively at the end of 2015.  The vote also comes a month … <Read More>


CityLand’s Top Ten Stories of 2015

Welcome to CityLand‘s fourth annual top ten stories of the year! We have selected a range of our most popular and prominent stories, guest commentaries concerning New York City land use in 2015.  Our fourth year as an online publication was marked by rezoning in East Midtown, the fight to renew rent stabilization protections in the City, proposed reform of the landmarking process, and capped by the first stage of review for Mayor de … <Read More>


Simeon Bankoff: Taking the Context out of Contextual Zoning

In March 2015, the City Planning Commission announced a proposal called Zoning for Affordability and Quality, which broadly calls for three principal changes in the current citywide zoning resolution. The plan proposes to change and enlarge definitions of senior housing to include more types of housing providers than currently permitted. It also proposes to increase buildable space for senior housing in some instances. The proposal also seeks to lessen or some instances no longer mandate … <Read More>


Elected Officials, Community Groups Rally Against Mayor’s Citywide Rezoning Plan

Speakers argued the plan eliminates residential zoning protections with little affordable housing benefit.  On March 25, 2015 the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation held a press conference on the steps of City Hall to protest Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposed citywide rezoning plan, “Zoning for Quality and Affordability”.  According to the Department of City Planning, the plan was created in response to zoning barriers identified by DCP and the Department of <Read More>


New School Hosts Panel Discussion on Historic Preservation and Affordable Housing

Elected officials, affordable housing advocates, and preservationists speak on historic preservation’s impact on New York City’s affordable housing shortage. On September 16, 2014, The Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at The New School hosted a panel discussion on New York City’s affordable housing shortage and historic preservation. The discussion was co-presented by the Historic Districts Council and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. The panel featured Manhattan Borough President <Read More>


City Planning Announces Anita Laremont As Executive Director

Current General Counsel is appointed Executive Director. On August 22, 2018, the Department of City Planning announced the appointment of Anita Laremont as its new Executive Director. Laremont is currently the Department’s General Counsel and Chief Analytical Officer. Laremont will succeed outgoing Executive Director Purnima Kapur. She will begin in her new role on September 4 and will continue to serve as the General Counsel until a replacement is named.