Despite adopting zoning legislation in 1916, America's largest city still doesn’t have a comprehensive plan. The COVID-19 Pandemic highlighted long standing societal inequities in New York State and City, fueling movements for racial, socio-economic, housing, environmental justice, and climate change. These movements beg the question if there could be a more integrated framework for planning across the city, one in which the principles of racial equity, resiliency, carbon reduction, and clean energy would be front and center. Principles of racial equity, resiliency, carbon reduction, and clean energy must be front and center in the planning framework.
This session will examine recent comprehensive planning initiatives and their ability to address the most pressing issues facing New York City and State:
- In 2019, the State enacted the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), seeking to mitigate climate change across all sectors by mandating the Climate Action Council to create a scoping plan to address greenhouse gas reduction, clean energy expansion goals, and the disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged communities.
- In 2019, City Council member Corey Johnson introduced his “Planning Together” Amendment, proposing a new city-wide comprehensive plan. This amendment, and other state-wide planning legislation, will address systemic inequities maintained through the current zoning code and ensure a healthy, fully-inclusive and sustainable urban ecosystem for all.
Panelists will discuss the potential effects these and other unified planning frameworks could have on how we design and plan our communities.
