Policy Brief: City of Yes Initiatives

Join us on Wednesday, November 2 at 1:00 p.m for a Policy Brief on the City of Yes Zoning Text Amendments.  

New York City plans to modernize and update the city’s zoning regulations to support small businesses, create affordable housing, and promote sustainability as part of Mayor Eric Adams’ vision for a more inclusive, equitable “City of Yes.” Matthew Waskiewicz, Associate Planner, NYC Department of City Planning will discuss the Economic Opportunity amendment; Nilus Klingel, Senior Planner, NYC Department of City Planning will share information on the Carbon Neutrality amendment; and John Mangin, Housing Director, NYC Department of City Planning will present on the Housing Opportunity amendment.

Supporting small businesses. “City of Economic Opportunity” will allow small businesses to repurpose vacant spaces by removing outdated limitations that keep them from getting filled. This means reforming antiquated rules on where certain businesses can be located; simplifying government rules that contribute to keeping storefronts vacant; and lifting regulations that keep businesses from evolving and expanding.

Making our buildings greener. “City of Carbon Neutrality” will support citywide carbon reduction efforts. The technology and the resources are already here. Our job is to speed up installation, make it easier to invest, and show the world what a city of the future looks like. This means changing our zoning rules so that we are not hindering eco-friendly building retrofits, the deployment of solar panels, and much more.

Expanding housing opportunities for everyone. “City of Housing Opportunity” will encourage the creation of more housing in neighborhoods across the city. Many factors contribute to our housing crisis, but one of the biggest is a failure to produce enough new housing to keep up with growing demand. We want to change that by allowing additional housing types, easing conversion rules, and allowing owners of homes and small buildings to alter and update their own property, whether they’re adding a family room or an apartment.

Please RSVP and submit your questions by 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 1. You will receive a confirmation email from Zoom upon registration. We hope that you can attend!

Watch the full discussion here.