The city of Yes is the most ambitious update to NYC’s zoning code since 1961. The three-part plan makes it easier for New Yorkers to go green, supports growing businesses and commercial corridors, and tackles the city’s housing shortage by allowing for more housing in every neighborhood.
In the heart of urban development, the “City of Yes” emerges as a symbol of progressive design and innovative architecture. This concept is about constructing buildings and fostering a mindset that welcomes change, embraces diversity, and encourages sustainable growth.
The City of Yes, for Carbon Neutrality, was passed on December 6, 2023. This will modernize our city’s zoning regulations to support our climate goals. The world is facing a climate emergency. To respond, towns across the globe-including New York City-have ambitious goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
To achieve our goals by 2050, we must transform our energy grid, retrofit our buildings, and shift to electric vehicles, transit, and other modes.
The Department of City Planning (NYC Planning) is working with the Department of Buildings (DOB), the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), and the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) on this proposal to facilitate the many green investments needed in our buildings.
Local businesses are the lifeblood of the neighborhoods. They need clear and sensible rules that allow them to change and grow. The City of Yes for Economic Opportunity is a zoning text amendment that removes outdated limitations on businesses, supports growing industries, and helps local retail streets and commercial corridors thrive.
The City of Yes champions adaptive reuse, transforming old structures into vibrant, functional spaces. Reimagining what already exists preserves cities’ historical fabric while injecting new life and purpose into urban areas. The result is a dynamic mix of old and new, where tradition coexists with modernity.
The city is not afraid of green spaces, either. It leads the charge in biophilic design, integrating nature into the urban environment. Rooftop gardens, vertical forests, and park-filled plazas are aesthetically pleasing and essential to promote well-being and environmental stewardship.
New York City has not built enough housing for decades because of overly restrictive zoning rules. Meanwhile, the housing that has been built is concentrated in just a few areas. As a result, there are not enough homes for New Yorkers to live in, many neighborhoods are closed off to housing opportunities, and the cost of housing keeps rising.
City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is a zoning text amendment that addresses this crisis by making it possible to build a little more housing in every neighborhood. These updated zoning rules will provide New Yorkers with more housing choices and help bring housing costs down. Allowing a little more housing in every neighborhood will create a lot of housing overall without overburdening any area.
Technology also plays a crucial role. The City of Yes is bright, leveraging data and connectivity to enhance efficiency and quality of life. Intelligent transportation systems, responsive infrastructure, and digital platforms for civic engagement set a benchmark for how cities can evolve in the digital area.
The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is expected to enable the creation of 82,000 homes over the next fifteen years. It is carefully designed to work differently in different neighborhoods and has several components.
In embracing the City of Yes, the city is not just building structures but constructing environments that reflect our aspirations for inclusive, sustainable, and intelligent urban living. It is a blueprint for the future where the answer to progress is always “yes.”
At Scarano Architect, PLLC, we are encouraged by the City’s promise to build more housing. It is much-needed and, hopefully, will solve some of the city’s housing issues. The City of Yes is a step in the right direction.
