Welcome to CityLand‘s second annual top ten stories of the year! We have selected the most popular and interesting stories, guest commentaries and profiles concerning NYC land use in 2013. In only our second year transitioning to an online publication, readership has dramatically increased. We look forward to continuing to provide in-depth coverage of the latest land use projects, cases, and legislation in 2014. We at CityLand thank you for your support and wish … <Read More>
Search Results for: Zoning Resolution
Building’s Refusal to Permit Advertising Sign on Eagle Electric Building Upheld.
Eagle claimed huge sign visible from Queensboro Bridge was not an accessory sign. The Eagle Electric Manufacturing Company, in 1936, constructed a 1,950 square foot sign on the rooftop of its plant located at 23-10 Queens Plaza South, Queens. The plant is located in the M1-9/R9 Special Long Island City Mixed Use zoning district and within 200 feet of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. Eagle ceased operations in 2000; the plant where the sign is … <Read More>
Willets Point Special Permits Come Under Attack at City Council Hearing
Council Members voiced concern over the City’s applications to facilitate Phase 1 of the Willets’ Point Development Project. The City Council’s Land Use Zoning and Franchises subcommittee held a public hearing on September 3, 2013 on Phase 1A of the $3 billion Willets Point Development Project. The applicants, New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and Queens Development Group, a joint venture of Related Companies and Sterling Equities, testified. The application is a … <Read More>
A Masterplan for Manhattan
For Manhattan to remain the vibrant center it is today we need a smart plan for long-term growth. The current land use process leaves communities fearful of being overrun by development that is poorly planned, harmful to communities, and undermines the character of our borough. This is why I have proposed a “Master Plan” for Manhattan to ensure that we grow our borough sensibly.
Cities across the United States are implementing Masters Plans, from booming … <Read More>
Public Access to Public Open Space
New York City routinely permits private property owners to acquire public land without paying for it. Does that shock you? It should! Let me explain how this happened.
In 1961 the Board of Estimate approved a new Zoning Resolution in which the public obtained access to and use of privately-owned open space in exchange for permitting certain owners to build additional floor area inside their building. For four decades people routinely used what became public … <Read More>
New York City’s Parking Odyssey: A Play in Several Acts
Traffic congestion in 2013 stems in large part from how the City has allocated street space among motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, CitiBike stations, pedicabs, and horse-drawn carriages. While changes to address street space allocations can be anticipated, the logic and purpose of the allocations have changed over time.
Act I – Suffocation on the Streets
Facing public streets “choked” with cars, the City in 1950 amended the 1916 Zoning Resolution to require developers of residential buildings … <Read More>