Rezoning New York City little by little
Zoning is a planners favorite tool, but many neighborhood activists and property owners dislike zoning, mainly when it effects them or benefits someone else at their expense (or at their perceived expense). In fact, zoning brings out the truly brazen hypocrisy of people. Please, don’t build anything ugly, noisy, smelly or unsightly anywhere I might ever see it, and certainly not next door to me, but oh by the way, I should be able to build whatever I want on my land regardless of the effect it has on others. And then there is greed, which is often lurking in the corner of the room when it comes to zoning. Because at the end of the day, zoning is that state coming in and either increasing or decreasing the value of your land to yourself and the next owner you want to sell to.
Given all of this, changing zoning is always fraught with controversy. Zoning is a such a powerful tool, especially in already developed big cities like NYC, that often the status quo is better than big change. So it makes it all the more remarkable that as 2010 starts, NYC is implementing the 100th rezoning since Mike Bloomberg came into office. People unfamilar with the way NYC works and how zoning is changed understand how impressive that is. For those who dont, it is really amazing. Because in order to get rezonings passed, enormous amounts of work have to be completed by the Department of Planning and the City Council. Dozens of plans, hearings, reports have to be completed. And everything has to pass the City Council in the end, no small feat.
All of these rezonings were greatly needed, in the sense that for NYC to be a great city today and in the future the city needs to be a place that can change. As employment patterns, neighborhood uses, and transportation systems changed, planning needs to change to incorporate those changes. And these rezonings are being done both to increase and decrease density. This isnt just a plan to gentrify and hand away development rights to developers. These are all small parts of a greater plan to make the city more livable and dynamic. Some places need new protections to defend from giant mcmansions and small multi family units coming into areas of single family homes. Other neighborhoods are being re-purposed from light industry to residential (Williamsburg and Greenpoint just to name two).
The real credit here goes to two individuals: The Mayor and Amanda Burden, the head of the City planning Department. Especially Ms. Burden, the head of the City planning since Bloomberg came into office. Her foresight and expertise are remarkable. And she is a fellow Columbia U Planning alumni. Planners take note: This is a world class planner playing in the greatest urban laboratory in America.
