How New York’s Next Mayor Can Shape Land Use and Planning: Who Decides

Some of the most important questions in land use policy today concern not what may be built, but who decides. Land use law can shift power to different levels of governance, from the state to the city to the neighborhood. In New York City today, land use decisions are made by city government, but dominated by neighborhood-level politics. This brief explores who has a voice in New York City land use decisions, and how the next mayor may adjust the balance between neighborhood voices and citywide needs.