Wrestling with Communities
Zoning Law 1916
Zoning Law 1961
Zoning Law 2011
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
zoning in new york city
Robert Moses, New York’s Master Builder
Jane Jacobs, Godmother of American urban design
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
moses VS JACOBS
“
Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.
”
Robert Moses, New York’s Master Builder
Jane Jacobs in Death and Life of Great American Cities
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
MOSES VS JACOBS
There is nobody against this. Nobody, nobody, nobody but a bunch of, a bunch of mothers.
“
“
Robert Moses after its first defeat of the Washington Square Park Highway
Jane Jacobs in Death and Life of Great American Cities
”
Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.
”
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
MOSES VS JACOBS
Top - down
Bottom - up
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
moses vs jacobs today
Top-down / Bottom-up
Manhattan Railyards Brookfield Properties Proposal
Holding Pattern MoMA, Queens Interboro Partners
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
Moses vs jacobs today
Big projects / Human scale
Amanda Burden director of the NYC Department of City Planning
Stacey Sheffey, Manuel Avila Crown Heights Community garden
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
moses vs jacobs today
Government / Communities
1
7 3
1
8
16
9 7
5
9 10 9
13
12
2
4
11
5
4 6 1
2
15 14
13
Queens
1
11
6
5
8
18
Brooklyn
12 7
7
14
10
8
11
10
17 12
1
8
5
3
6
12 6
4
2
11
4
2
3 9
10
3
2
3
Manhattan
The Bronx
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
Staten Island
city planning in public review
NYC Community Districts
Department of City Planing (DCP) application and Pre-Certification 0
Community Board (CB)
public hearing recommendation to CPC
30
60
Borough President (BP)
recommendation to CPC
Borough Board (BB)
public hearing recommendation to CPC
90
City Planning Commission (CPC)
public hearing approves, modifies or disapproves application
120
150
City Council (CC)
reviews application public hearing vote to approve, approve with modifications or disapprove proposed modifications to CPC
180
230 235
Mayor (City Council)
reviews application, may veto council action possibility to override Mayor’s veto by 2/3 vote
(245) days
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
city planning in public review
ULURP Timeline
“
ULURP was set up for failure as community boards’ work has pushed aside by CPC and DCP.
”
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
city planning in public review
Eve Baron, Pratt Center
“
There really is not much community planning going on in New York City by City Government. The Department of City Planning just basically goes in and changes zoning. It is a zoning agency.
�
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
city planning in public review
Tom Angotti
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
city planning in public review
What’s the balance?
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
case study
Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn
Developdon’t destoy. BROOKLYN
Atlantic Yard Development & Design
Community Respones
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
Case study
Development vs Community
“
Why should people get to see [Atlantic Yards] plans? This isn’t a public project.
”
Developdon’t destoy. BROOKLYN
Bruce Ratner in Crain’s New York article November 8, 2009
Community Respones
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
case study
Development vs Community
“
The only weapon we have at this point in time is the weapon of protest. So if you want to develop and not destory, make some noise!
�
Bruce Ratner, Real Estate Developer
Letitia James, City Council Member Brooklyn May 3, 2008
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
case study
Development vs Community
“
It [Atlantc Yards] has been, and still is, about one of the biggest failures of government and democracy in the city’s history.
”
Bruce Ratner, Real Estate Developer
Daniel Goldstein, April 22, 2010
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
case study
Development vs Community
FCRC model, design by Frank Gehry
Unity Community Development model
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
case study
Unity alternative plan
SENATOR VELMANETTE MONTGOMERY
NYCC LETITIA JAMES
CITIZENS
COMMUNITY BOARDS
ATLANTIC YARDS DEVELOPMENT
WORKSHOP DESIGNERS LOCAL BUSINESSES
DEVELOPERS
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
case study
Unity: Planners + Community source: Unity Report 2007
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
what's next?
Urban Design as intermediary resource
“
In the dialogue [...] the designer has a valuable and needed skill [...]. During debates, the designer participates by illustrating alternatives that incorporate many voices, dreams, and desires of existing situations.
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
�
what's next?
J. Kaliski, Everyday Urbanism, p 107
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
what's next?
Internet as new recource to put proposals
“
How the future of city development will look by means of giving more power to the people? Will we go to a more comprehensive way of planning with both government and residents together, coordinated by urban design and architecture? Or will we get stuck in a system of topdown planning where residents can do nothing more than protest government’s plans?
�
planning the city
An amalgam of authorities
what's next?