A closely watched rezoning effort in New York City cleared a key City Council committee last week, while making some concessions from the original vision to get across the finish line.
Kathryn Brenzel reports for TheRealDeal that the New York City Council has reached a compromise to get Envision SoHo/NoHo one critical step closer to full approval, dialing back some of the density in the vision for this relatively wealthy corner of Manhattan.
The version of the plan approved by the City Council's Committee on Land Use last week "reduces the commercial floor-area ratio in most of the rezoning area to 5 from the original proposal, in which FAR was 10 in three areas," reports Brenzel. "In the Bowery corridor in Noho, the commercial FAR is 7 and the residential FAR is 12, as recommended by City Planning."
"Despite the last-minute changes, the plan as a whole will dramatically increase the amount of development allowed in the high-income, relatively low-scale neighborhoods. It is a victory for the administration and advocates for affordable housing, not to mention the real estate industry," writes Brenzel.
Planners in New York City began working on the controversial rezoning plan in 2018, and the narrative about the rezoning process quickly turned to relative wealth of the neighborhoods included in the plan compared to other parts of the city rezoned during the de Blasio administration (advocates are pushing the city to for rezone for more residential density in other affluent parts of the city in the wake of Envision SoHo/NoHo).
More details on the final plan are available in the source article linked below. An earlier article by Brenzel, published two days earlier, detailed the political maneuvers that preceded to the compromise.
FULL STORY: City Council tweaks Soho rezoning, assuring its passage
Too Much Commercial Zoning for Affordable Housing in SoHo's Controversial Rezoning Plan?
Mayor Bill de Blasio is crossing the finish line of his time in office at the same time as one of the most controversial rezoning processes of his administration.
New Supertall Planned for Grand Central Station-Adjacent Property
A new supertall skyscraper will rise at 175 Park Avenue, rising next to famous neighbors on a prime block in Manhattan.
Five More Affluent NYC Neighborhoods to Upzone
In keeping with the goals of the Regional Plan Association's Fourth Regional Plan, New York City must continue its nascent trend of rezoning for more building capacity in affluent neighborhoods.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research