Mayor Announces Appointments to New York City Districting Commission

The Commission will help with the redesign of the City Council district boundaries. On March 7, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced his seven appointees to the New York City Districting Commission. The Commission is responsible for redrawing council district boundaries as required every ten years by the City Charter following the national census. The redistricting helps the City Council reflect changes in demographics and population. 


HPD Announces Heightened Enforcement for 250 Buildings for Open Violations

The program requires owners to rectify most violations within a four month period or be subject to penalties and possible costs of repairs initiated by HPD. On March 1, 2022, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced 250 buildings will be placed in the City’s Alternative Enforcement Program, which heightens enforcement against distressed buildings with many violations.


City Planning and HPD Seek Public Feedback on New Equitable Development Data Tool

The tool aims to aid discussions and policymaking for creating affordable housing and preventing displacement. On February 22, 2022, the Department of City Planning (DCP) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced the beginning of public engagement work for a new interactive tool, the Equitable Development Data Tool. The tool will allow users to examine housing, demographics, public health and other data, and compare that data across neighborhoods and racial and ethnic <Read More>


City Planning Votes to Approve New Mixed-Use Building in Belmont

Commissioners had previous concerns about the impact of the removal of parking spaces on the neighborhood. On February 16, 2022, the City Planning Commission voted to approve a special permit application to waive parking requirements that would allow for the development of an eleven-story mixed use building in the Belmont section of the Bronx. For CityLand’s prior coverage of this application, click here


Prison Populations, The Census, and Prison Gerrymandering

Prison gerrymandering manipulates the boundaries of electoral districts by inflating the districts with incarcerated individuals who have no real relationship to the districts where the prisons are located. Incarcerated individuals in New York are not allowed to vote. As a result, in districts with prisons and large prison populations the votes of the voters who can vote become more powerful compared to the vote of the voters in districts without a prison population. At the … <Read More>