All articles by Aaron Ginsburg

Council proposes construction code updates to build 35,000 new homes on thousands of small lots across NYC

The project “System for Narrow Living” by Only If Architecture was a finalist in the city’s 2019 competition “Big Ideas for Small Lots.” The design calls for a 4,900-square-foot building with seven units.

April 27, 2026

Council proposes construction code updates to build 35,000 new homes on thousands of small lots across NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council is advancing reforms that could unlock up to 35,000 new homes on small and oddly-shaped lots across the five boroughs. During an American Institute of Architects (AIA) luncheon on Friday, Council Speaker Julie Menin proposed changes to the city’s construction codes that would allow for new housing on roughly 3,000 tiny, underutilized lots without requiring lengthy zoning approvals. Menin also announced the creation of a new panel, the Council Advisory Group on Housing Affordability, to help guide the Council's policies addressing the city’s housing crisis.
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Work on Madison Avenue bus lane redesign begins

Credit: NYC DOT

April 24, 2026

Work on Madison Avenue bus lane redesign begins

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work finally began this week on long-delayed dedicated bus lanes along a congested stretch of Madison Avenue. On Friday, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced that work has started on extending double bus lanes along the avenue from 23rd to 42nd Streets, a project aimed at improving commutes for about 92,000 daily riders who often deal with bus speeds as low as 4.5 miles per hour. The agency expects the project to be finished over the next several weeks.
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Extell files plans for 86-story, 430-unit apartment building on the Upper West Side

Looking at West 66th Stret from Columbus Avenue. Photo © Ondel Hylton

April 24, 2026

Extell files plans for 86-story, 430-unit apartment building on the Upper West Side

By Aaron Ginsburg

Extell Development this week filed plans for an 86-story residential tower on the Upper West Side, advancing a proposal for the neighborhood's next tallest building. Plans filed Wednesday with the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) call for a 1,200-foot-tall tower with 430 apartments at 80 West 67th Street, also known as 77 West 66th Street, on the former Disney campus. The project would surpass Extell’s tower across the street at 55 West 66th Street by more than 400 feet, becoming the tallest building in the neighborhood.
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Brooklyn Public Library releases list of 250 influential books for America’s 250th anniversary

Photos courtesy of Gregg Richards

April 23, 2026

Brooklyn Public Library releases list of 250 influential books for America’s 250th anniversary

By Aaron Ginsburg

Ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary this summer, the Brooklyn Public Library released this week a list of 250 notable books on American history. "250 for 250" features titles published between 1776 and 2025 and reflects a wide range of perspectives on American history and storytelling, beginning with Thomas Paine's "Common Sense." More than 600 books were considered by a committee of nearly two dozen librarians.
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Events & Things To Do

‘Before New York’ pop-up exhibition recreates NYC’s landscape as it looked 400 years ago

(L) Credit: Getty Images / Eloi Omella (R) Credit: “Before New York: The Natural Geography of the City (2026)”

April 23, 2026

‘Before New York’ pop-up exhibition recreates NYC’s landscape as it looked 400 years ago

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new traveling pop-up exhibition from the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) will recreate New York City’s natural landscape as it appeared 400 years ago. Running Saturday, April 25 through November 15, "Before New York" will be on display in every borough, featuring digital renderings, large-scale photographs, and soundscapes that reconstruct the city’s landscape as it existed before Henry Hudson arrived in 1609, with experiences tailored to each borough. The exhibition will open at the garden’s Ross Gallery, with additional pop-up locations and programming expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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Events & Things To Do

April 23, 2026

Judge halts plan to move men’s homeless intake shelter to East Village after lawsuit

By Aaron Ginsburg

A state judge has paused Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to relocate a men's homeless intake shelter from the shuttered Bellevue facility in Kips Bay to the East Village after residents filed a lawsuit. Judge Sabrina Kraus issued the order on Wednesday, blocking the city from opening the intake center at 8 East Third Street on May 1 as originally planned and setting a May 7 court date for the administration and plaintiffs. Last month, Mamdani announced plans to close the Bellevue shelter, citing decades of neglect and deteriorating conditions, and to relocate its roughly 250 residents to existing shelters in the East Village.
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Policy

Brooklyn’s dangerous Linden Boulevard to get center-running bus lanes, pedestrian islands

Aerial view of Linden Boulevard. All images courtesy of DOT

April 22, 2026

Brooklyn’s dangerous Linden Boulevard to get center-running bus lanes, pedestrian islands

By Aaron Ginsburg

Parts of Brooklyn’s Linden Boulevard, one of the borough’s most dangerous corridors, will be redesigned with center-running bus lanes and other safety upgrades by 2027. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced that the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) will begin installing the lanes later this year along the stretch between Fountain and Conduit Avenues in East New York. The changes aim to improve safety along the corridor, which saw more than 440 traffic-related injuries and one death between 2021 and 2025. Those crashes have been linked to the road’s current design, which encourages speeding, forces pedestrians to cross multiple lanes of traffic, and leaves buses stuck behind double-parked cars, according to amNY.
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April 22, 2026

7 green infrastructure projects shaping NYC’s climate future

By Aaron Ginsburg

As New York City deals with rising sea levels, heavier rainfall, and aging infrastructure, officials are increasingly confronting a future that will be wetter and more climate-vulnerable. Efforts are underway to improve the resilience of the city against extreme weather driven by climate change while expanding greener and more accessible public spaces. These efforts come as President Donald Trump's administration continues to cancel or freeze funding for programs that address climate change, including $325 million in disaster prevention funds for New York. In honor of Earth Day, we've put together a list of seven major green infrastructure projects that are working toward a safe and sustainable future for New Yorkers.
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NYC plans to invest $4B from pension funds for affordable housing

New rental building The Ellery at 312 West 43rd Street was financed by the A.F.L-C.I.O Housing Investment Trust, which finances middle-income housing built by union employees. Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

April 20, 2026

NYC plans to invest $4B from pension funds for affordable housing

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine plans to invest $4 billion from the city's public pension funds for affordable housing development. Levine on Thursday unveiled the "NYC Housing Investment Initiative," which will more than double the funds' current real estate portfolio and help finance thousands of new homes through mixed-income projects, office-to-residential conversions, and renovations, as first reported by the New York Times. The plan calls for roughly $1 billion in annual pension investments over the next four years.
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NYC announces 6 more districts to fully containerize trash by end of 2027

Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 17, 2026

NYC announces 6 more districts to fully containerize trash by end of 2027

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is expanding its trash containerization program, selecting additional districts in all five boroughs to fully adopt containerized trash collection by the end of next year. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday announced that the city’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) will deliver at least one fully containerized community district in every borough by the end of 2027, with a target of citywide containerization by 2031. The districts will receive the city’s new Empire Bins, which will be collected by automated side-loading garbage trucks.
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Policy

Trump will release funds for Second Avenue Subway extension

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Trump administration on Thursday agreed to release nearly $60 million in federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway extension, ending a monthslong dispute that began during October’s government shutdown. According to the New York Times, in a letter filed in Federal Claims Court, a lawyer for the government said the administration would resume payments to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority after the agency sued in March over the withheld funding. The funds were initially held while the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) reviewed the MTA's race- and sex-based contracting requirements, which the agency now says have been satisfied.
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Mamdani proposes city-backed insurance program to cut costs for some NYC landlords

Credit: Jason Hawke CA on Unsplash

April 16, 2026

Mamdani proposes city-backed insurance program to cut costs for some NYC landlords

By Aaron Ginsburg

While Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration has so far focused on affordability for renters, the mayor announced a plan to help landlords on Thursday. A new program managed by the city will reduce the cost of property and liability insurance for affordable and rent-stabilized housing. As the New York Times reported, the proposal is seen as a peace offering to property owners, whose interests have often been at odds with the administration. According to the city, the self-sustaining program will help address the rising cost of insurance, which has more than tripled since 2017.
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Lincoln Center unveils Summer for the City lineup, with dance taking center stage

Credit: Sachyn Mital

April 16, 2026

Lincoln Center unveils Summer for the City lineup, with dance taking center stage

By Aaron Ginsburg

Lincoln Center on Thursday revealed the lineup for its fifth annual Summer for the City festival, which brings hundreds of free events and performances to the iconic arts campus. Running from June 10 through August 8, the festival transforms the 16-acre campus into a vibrant cultural hub, activating both indoor and outdoor spaces with dance, music, and multidisciplinary performances. This year’s edition places a particular emphasis on dance, including the debut of the first Lincoln Center Contemporary Dance Festival.
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Events & Things To Do

Landmarks approves 8-story cast-iron-inspired rental in Tribeca

(L) Exterior rendering, (R) North facing rendering. Images courtesy of the LPC.

April 15, 2026

Landmarks approves 8-story cast-iron-inspired rental in Tribeca

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the demolition of two mid-20th-century commercial buildings in Tribeca’s historic district to make way for a luxury residential development. Proposed by SilverLining Development, the 8-story project at 31–35 Lispenard Street in the Tribeca East Historic District will feature 19 apartments, likely rentals, as Tribeca Citizen first reported, with a facade inspired by the cast-iron buildings in neighboring Soho. Aden Wiener, founder of SilverLining, said the development will introduce a “new concept of living” to the area, with ground-floor retail and a boutique collection of “highly amenitized” loft residences.
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NJ Transit tickets to World Cup matches at MetLife will cost $150

Credit: Peyton Clough on Unsplash

April 15, 2026

NJ Transit tickets to World Cup matches at MetLife will cost $150

By Aaron Ginsburg

With FIFA World Cup ticket prices already high, fans attending matches at MetLife Stadium this summer will face additional costs, as NJ Transit confirms round-trip rail tickets will cost $150. On Friday, the agency released its final transportation plan for the tournament, confirming earlier reports that rail tickets for the 18-mile trip to and from MetLife would cost more than $100. The tickets will go on sale May 13, with only 40,000 available for each match day and no additional tickets to be sold once the initial batch is gone.
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NYC opens accessible pedestrian ramp connecting Bronx Park and New York Botanical Garden

Images courtesy of NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

April 15, 2026

NYC opens accessible pedestrian ramp connecting Bronx Park and New York Botanical Garden

By Aaron Ginsburg

Bronx residents will have easier access to the New York Botanical Garden thanks to a new pedestrian access ramp that opened Monday. The $4 million project transformed the pedestrian overpass over the Bronx River Parkway, long plagued by safety and accessibility issues, into a fully ADA-compliant ramp with handrails, landings, and stairs. The new walkway ensures visitors of all ages and abilities can safely access the garden.
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Architecture And Design

Lincoln Center unveils new mural honoring San Juan Hill ahead of major renovation

Photos of mural courtesy of Lawrence Sumulong. Renderings of Damrosch Park courtesy of Brooklyn Digital Foundry.

April 14, 2026

Lincoln Center unveils new mural honoring San Juan Hill ahead of major renovation

By Aaron Ginsburg

A colorful mural opened at Lincoln Center on Monday, part of an ongoing effort to transform its western edge into a more welcoming public space. Designed by artist Vanesa Álvarez and assistant artist Derval Fairweather in collaboration with ArtBridge, "The Future We Create" draws on themes and imagery shaped by community input. The mural is installed on construction fencing along the perimeter of Damrosch Park, where Lincoln Center plans to remove longstanding barriers separating its campus from Amsterdam Avenue and improve access to surrounding neighborhoods.
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Architecture And Design

Trump administration agrees to display Pride flag at Stonewall after lawsuit

Credit: Will Alatriste/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

April 14, 2026

Trump administration agrees to display Pride flag at Stonewall after lawsuit

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Pride flag will be displayed permanently at Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village after the Trump administration agreed to reverse its decision to remove it. As part of a court settlement reached on Monday, the federal government agreed to reinstall three flags on the monument’s flagpole within a week, according to the Associated Press. Filed by a group of nonprofits after the flag's removal on February 9, the lawsuit argued that the administration illegally targeted LGBTQIA+ people and violated a policy allowing the National Park Service (NPS) to display "non-agency" flags at federal sites when they provide historical context.
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Policy

NYC trivia returns to Queens Museum for 15th ‘Panorama’ Challenge

Credit: The City Reliquary

April 13, 2026

NYC trivia returns to Queens Museum for 15th ‘Panorama’ Challenge

By Aaron Ginsburg

The World Series of New York City trivia returns to the Queens Museum for its 15th anniversary this Friday. Hosted by the City Reliquary, the Panorama Challenge uses the museum's iconic Panorama of the City of New York, a huge scale model of the five boroughs created for the 1964-65 World's Fair, to test participants' knowledge of places and events tied to neighborhoods across the city. Taking place on April 17, this year's competition will feature a new set of NYC-themed questions, including viral moments, Broadway, and other facets of the city’s cultural history and lore.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC to connect Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park with car-free pedestrian space

Credit: spurekar on Flickr

April 13, 2026

NYC to connect Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park with car-free pedestrian space

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City wants to close a chaotic street between Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park, connecting the plaza to the 585-acre green space with a new car-free pedestrian space. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced a proposal to remove the four-way crossing next to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch and ban cars from Union Street to Eastern Parkway along the plaza's southern edge. The redesign also includes new bike lanes and bus priority upgrades aimed at improving service on the B41 and B6, two of Brooklyn's busiest routes.
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Lottery opens for 75 apartments at 38-story FiDi tower, from $1,819/month

All images courtesy of The Moinian Group

April 10, 2026

Lottery opens for 75 apartments at 38-story FiDi tower, from $1,819/month

By Aaron Ginsburg

An affordable housing lottery launched this week for 75 mixed-income apartments at a 38-story residential tower in the Financial District. Developed by the Moinian Group, Aria 7 Platt at 7 Platt Street offers light-filled luxury residences and a range of indoor and outdoor amenities. New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, priced from $1,819/month studios to $4,484/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Jersey City’s historic Loew’s Theatre to reopen this fall after $130M restoration

View from the Lower Mezzanine Level. Credit: VStudio

April 10, 2026

Jersey City’s historic Loew’s Theatre to reopen this fall after $130M restoration

By Aaron Ginsburg

A Jersey City icon will reopen its doors this year. Loew's Jersey Theatre announced this week that the historic venue will return this fall, following a $130 million restoration. New renderings provide an updated look at the 1929 theater's transformation into a year-round entertainment destination in Journal Square, more than 40 years after preservation efforts began. Led by OTJ Architects, the project rehabilitates and modernizes the space while retaining its ornate historical details, with upgrades that include new sound and lighting systems and flexible seating for between 2,600 and 4,000 guests.
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Architecture And Design

Even amid NYC’s housing crisis, new affordable units sit vacant for over 14 months

Credit: Martin Robac on Unsplash

April 10, 2026

Even amid NYC’s housing crisis, new affordable units sit vacant for over 14 months

By Aaron Ginsburg

A report released Thursday is calling for reforms to New York City’s leasing process, finding that some affordable housing buildings can take up to 14 months to reach full occupancy due to delays. Published by Enterprise, the report highlights how even amid the city’s housing crisis, newly built affordable units can sit vacant for months as tenants and owners navigate the “lease-up process,” the period between when a building is ready for move-ins and when it reaches capacity. As first reported by The City, the report outlines a series of recommendations, including reforms to CityFHEPS, the city’s Housing Connect lottery system, and streamlining of the homeless placement process.
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City to restart Flatbush Avenue redesign this month

A rendering of the Flatbush Avenue bus lane proposal at Flatbush Avenue and Prospect Place. Images courtesy of NYC DOT

April 9, 2026

City to restart Flatbush Avenue redesign this month

By Aaron Ginsburg

Work to redesign Brooklyn’s Flatbush Avenue will resume this month, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Thursday. The project will create dedicated center lanes along the notoriously congested and dangerous corridor from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza, and is expected to speed up commutes for 132,000 daily bus riders, who currently travel at average speeds of under 4 miles per hour. Initial work on the four-phase project began last fall, but DOT suspended construction because of winter weather. Construction will restart at the end of April and continue into the fall of 2026, weather permitting.
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Rest hub for NYC delivery workers unveiled in City Hall Park

Credit: Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

April 9, 2026

Rest hub for NYC delivery workers unveiled in City Hall Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

A former newsstand in City Hall Park is now a rest stop for New York City delivery workers. The city's first "deliverista hub" was unveiled at 249 Broadway on Tuesday, offering some of the city's 80,000 delivery workers a place to rest inside, safely charge e-bike batteries, and access other resources (except, notably, a bathroom). The $1 million worker-designed hub, the first in the country, will be staffed by the Worker's Justice Project five days a week.
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