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Mapping the Future

Mapping the Future investigates and explains the history, economics, politics and policies that shape the way land is used in the city of New York and beyond. It is supported by the Ford Foundation and the Neighborhoods First Fund.

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Must Reads

Eric Adams Touts Hotel Conversions in Plan to Address Homelessness

The Democratic nominee for mayor says he wants to convert shuttered lodgings outside Manhattan into 25,000 units of supportive and permanently affordable housing.
By David Brand
As NYC’s Jail Crisis Worsens, Stable Housing Could Be the Difference Between Rikers and Release

As a deepening humanitarian crisis inside the Rikers Island jail complex fuels efforts to release more detainees, a judge’s decision can come down to one key consideration: Do they have a stable address?
By David Brand
‘They Were Uninhabitable’—Ex-Landlords Leave Raft of Hazards at Former Bronx Cluster Sites

In June, the city spent $122 million to purchase 14 former cluster site buildings, turning them over to nonprofit organizations to fix up and operate as permanent housing.
By David Brand
Opinion: In NYC Land Use Debates, YIMBYs and NIMBYs Can Find Common Ground

'Our city has long suffered from a lack of housing and mistrust from our elected officials.
By Denny Salas
City’s Effort to Move Homeless Back to Group Shelters Contradicts Earlier Health Dept. Guidance, Documents Show

In correspondence between city and state agencies in May, before the state lifted COVID-19 restrictions, the Health Department recommended halting hotel shelter transfers if the city saw a major variant outbreak or if average COVID hospitalization admissions exceeded 50 cases a day, which it since has.
By Jeanmarie Evelly
SoHo-NoHo Rezoning Plan Needs Work, BP Brewer Says

Five weeks after the local community board rejected the city’s application to rezone a 56-block stretch of the two wealthy neighborhoods, Brewer said the current plan leaves many issues unresolved—though she hasn’t ruled out backing a revised plan.
By David Brand
Tenants in NYC’s Often-Illegal Basement Apartments Bore the Brunt of Ida Floods

New Yorkers who withstood the flooding inside their basement apartments—often unauthorized conversions that do not meet city safety standards—now face new hardships and fears, like dangerous mold, future flooding, and the abrupt loss of housing.
By Daniel Parra and David Brand
What New York’s Latest Eviction Protections Mean for Renters and Landlords

The law replaces earlier protections that expired Aug.
By David Brand

The Neighborhoods

Click on a neighborhood to get news, documents, opinions and videos about that community.

Key

Proposal Anticipated

Proposal in Approval Process

Proposal Approved

Proposal Defeated or Withdrawn

Rezoning Status

Bay Street

Bushwick

Downtown Far Rockaway

East Harlem

East New York

Flushing West

Gowanus

Inwood

Jerome Avenue

Long Island City

Southern Boulevard

Sunset Park

Two Bridges/Chinatown

Upper West Side

Mapping the Future: Opinion

Opinion: Striking a ‘Grand Bargain’ to Rebuild Trust in NYC Affordable Housing

‘We are seeing a rampant level of opposition to every suggestion of new housing going back to before the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are going to address the housing shortage and fuel the recovery, we must strengthen our practices to ensure there is always a net positive for communities.’
By Rafael E. Cestero
Opinion: New York City Needs Basement Apartments Now More Than Ever

‘In one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, people will continue to rent basement apartments whether they are legal or not. We need legalization to make them safe.’
By Patrick Spauster
Opinion: It’s Time to Prioritize Older Adults in NYC Housing

'The cost is too high not to fund safety modifications to our housing stock. Older adults who can’t afford modifications, such as grab bars or no step entrances, must choose between living in an unsafe home or moving to an institutional setting.'
By Felicia Singh
Opinion: NYC’s Next Mayor Should Prioritize Land Use and Zoning Projects

‘It’s crucial for the mayor to make difficult decisions about how certain neighborhoods are zoned and rezoned. He should have the courage of his convictions—and, where needed, be unafraid of controversy.’
By Mitch Korbey
Opinion: Let’s Have a Compassionate Conversation About NYC Homelessness

'For every supportive housing slot there are six applications. Nearly 45,000 New Yorkers, including 14,000 children, fill the shelter system. What we need now is the political will to invest in this long-term goal while offering shorter-term pathways to housing.'
By Tori Lyon