Policy

Mamdani orders city to close or renovate migrant shelters

The Roosevelt Hotel closed during the pandemic and became an emergency shelter center for asylum seekers. Image via WikiCommons

January 7, 2026

Mamdani orders city to close or renovate migrant shelters

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city has 45 days to create a plan to close or renovate its emergency migrant shelters under a new executive order signed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday. The Departments of Social Services and Homeless Services (DHS), working with the Law Department, have until February 19 to create a plan to bring all emergency shelters into compliance with city law, including maximum capacity limits and requirements for cooking facilities in shelters housing families and children. Former Mayor Eric Adams suspended those rules through a series of emergency executive orders beginning in October 2022, as the city grappled with the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers.
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Policy

One year of congestion pricing in NYC, 27 million fewer vehicles, $550M in revenue

Photo by Pranay Pareek on Unsplash

January 5, 2026

One year of congestion pricing in NYC, 27 million fewer vehicles, $550M in revenue

By Devin Gannon

By nearly every measure, congestion pricing is working. In the first year of the program, 27 million fewer vehicles entered Manhattan south of 60th Street, resulting in an 11 percent reduction in traffic. The program, which began on January 5, 2025, is on track to generate $550 million in revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, about $50 million more than originally projected. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA on Monday released a report detailing the successes of congestion pricing during its first year, even as nearly a dozen lawsuits have attempted to stop the program.
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NYC street vendor advocates push to lift cap on licenses after Adams veto

Photo by Anton on Unsplash

January 5, 2026

NYC street vendor advocates push to lift cap on licenses after Adams veto

By Michelle Cohen

The city's street vendors are often in the news for their struggle to stay on the right side of the law–and stay in business. Last month, the City Council passed a bill that would add significantly to the existing caps on licenses and permits for vendors. The New York Times reported that the limit placed on general vendor licenses would be raised to over 11,000 in 2027. By 2031, there would be nearly 17,000 food vendor permits available, and almost 1,300 permits would be set aside for vendors who are veterans or disabled. However, the new law faced another obstacle; it was among 19 bills vetoed by Mayor Eric Adams on his last day in office.
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Policy

NYC renters can share apartment complaints during series of public hearings

Photo by Bret Lama on Unsplash

January 5, 2026

NYC renters can share apartment complaints during series of public hearings

By Devin Gannon

New York City renters dealing with poor living conditions or bad landlords will have an opportunity to share their apartment complaints directly with the city. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday announced plans to host "rental rip-off" hearings across the five boroughs to hear from tenants on challenges they are facing in their homes. Following the hearings, the city will put together a report examining common issues and use the testimony to inform future policies.
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Policy

McGuinness Boulevard to be redesigned with two protected bike lanes, after all

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 5, 2026

McGuinness Boulevard to be redesigned with two protected bike lanes, after all

By Aaron Ginsburg

Greenpoint’s notoriously dangerous McGuinness Boulevard will receive its originally planned safety upgrades, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Saturday. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) will move forward with its plan to install protected bike lanes along the entirety of McGuinness Boulevard, extending existing protected lanes between Meeker and Calyer Streets up to the Pulaski Bridge. The move fulfills a campaign pledge Mamdani made in August to complete the original project and follows a corruption scandal under former Mayor Eric Adams, in which the redesign was scaled back amid allegations that a neighborhood film production company bribed a senior administration official, as Gothamist reported.
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Mamdani signs housing, tenant protection orders on first day

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

January 2, 2026

Mamdani signs housing, tenant protection orders on first day

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has wasted little time advancing his campaign agenda, signing a series of executive orders on his first day in office, including three aimed at building new housing and protecting tenants. On Thursday, Mamdani signed the orders, which revamp the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and create two new task forces focused on streamlining housing construction, connecting New Yorkers to homes more quickly, and increasing supply by identifying qualifying city-owned properties. He also appointed Cea Weaver, executive director of Housing Justice for All and the New York State Tenant Block, as director of the revitalized Office to Protect Tenants.
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It’s the end of the line for the MetroCard

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

December 31, 2025

It’s the end of the line for the MetroCard

By Aaron Ginsburg

The MetroCard, the iconic fare payment method for New York City’s public transit system, is now officially a thing of the past. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) retired the card, ending the era of the signature transit payment method that replaced tokens and became a cultural icon since its debut in 1994, and marking a major step in the MTA's transition to the tap-and-go OMNY system.
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Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

December 30, 2025

Citi Bike prices to increase again

By Aaron Ginsburg

Citi Bike is raising its prices again, marking the fifth consecutive year New York City bike-sharing will become more expensive. Starting January 5, 2026, the bike-share service, operated by Lyft, will increase the price of e-bike and classic bike overage fees to 27 cents per minute for members. Annual memberships will also rise roughly nine percent, or $20, to $239, effective January 28. The company cited fleet expansion across the five boroughs and rising costs from tariffs as reasons for the price hikes.
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Broadway Junction development with 1,000 affordable units moves ahead after Council approval

All images courtesy of WXY Studio, unless noted otherwise

December 29, 2025

Broadway Junction development with 1,000 affordable units moves ahead after Council approval

By Aaron Ginsburg

A major redevelopment planned for a two-acre site surrounding the Broadway Junction transit hub in East New York advanced this month. The Council approved plans to build Herkimer-Williams, a four-building complex with up to 1,000 affordable homes, retail, community facilities, and open space. Developed by Totem, the mixed-use project has been shaped by nearly three years of public outreach, including over 100 meetings with residents and stakeholders.
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Starting in 2026, NYC’s rent-stabilized apartments will be easier to find

Credit: Tyler Donaghy on Unsplash

December 23, 2025

Starting in 2026, NYC’s rent-stabilized apartments will be easier to find

By Aaron Ginsburg

Apartment hunters in New York City will have an easier time finding rent-stabilized units next year, as a new city law takes effect on January 1. Passed in June, Intro. 1037, also known as the Rent Transparency Act, requires landlords to more clearly publicize rent-stabilized units in their buildings and explain how prospective tenants can access further information. Sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse, the bill requires that a sign be posted in building common areas and made available in both English and Spanish.
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NYC will study feasibility of affordable housing on Wards Island

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new City Council bill passed this week will explore the feasibility of creating affordable housing on Wards Island. Sponsored by Council Member Gale Brewer, Intro. 0571 directs the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to publish a study assessing the potential for residential development on the 255-acre island at the northern end of the East River between Manhattan and Queens. Due by July 1, 2027, the study will examine costs, land-use restrictions, and the provision of services and amenities on Wards Island.
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Adams stacks Rent Guidelines Board, jeopardizing Mamdani’s rent freeze pledge

Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

December 19, 2025

Adams stacks Rent Guidelines Board, jeopardizing Mamdani’s rent freeze pledge

By Aaron Ginsburg

With just two weeks left in office, Mayor Eric Adams has appointed and reappointed four members to the city’s Rent Guidelines Board, in an effort to block Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s push for a rent freeze. With these appointments and reappointments, Adams' allies now hold a majority on the nine-member board, which sets rent increases for the city’s one million rent-stabilized apartments.
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Policy

NYC’s creative industry at risk amid affordability crisis, report finds

The Rubin Museum in Chelsea closed in 2024. It now operates as a global institution with traveling exhibitions. Photo by David de Armas, courtesy of the Rubin Museum of Art.

December 18, 2025

NYC’s creative industry at risk amid affordability crisis, report finds

By Aaron Ginsburg

The future of New York City's celebrated creative scene is in jeopardy, as rising living costs make sustaining a career in the industry increasingly unfeasible, a new report says. Released this month by the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), the "Creative New York" report finds that despite the creative sector’s importance to the city’s economy, the number of people working in creative fields has decreased substantially since the pandemic, following decades of growth. Employing more than 326,000 New Yorkers and attracting millions of tourists each year, the city's creative sector is an integral part of its character, but without reform, this trend could drive a large portion of the industry out of the five boroughs, according to the report.
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Policy

MTA to add spikes and paddles at most NYC subway stations to curb fare evasion

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

December 17, 2025

MTA to add spikes and paddles at most NYC subway stations to curb fare evasion

By Aaron Ginsburg

Almost every New York City subway turnstile will soon feature protective fins, sleeves, and spikes to prevent fare evasion, the MTA said Monday. NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow told the MTA board that the agency plans to spend $7.3 million to install the technology at 129 additional stations by January, adding to the 327 of the city’s 472 subway stations that already have it. According to Crichlow, stations equipped with the technology, designed to make it harder to hop or slip around a turnstile, have seen fare evasion drop by up to 60 percent.
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Construction begins on Lionsgate Newark, NJ’s first purpose-built film production studio

Renderings courtesy of Lionsgate/Great Point Studios

December 16, 2025

Construction begins on Lionsgate Newark, NJ’s first purpose-built film production studio

By Aaron Ginsburg

Construction has officially begun on New Jersey’s first purpose-built film and television production studio in Newark. Last week, Lionsgate, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) marked the start of work on the Lionsgate Newark film studio, a major investment expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to the city’s South Ward. Located on the former Seth Boyden Housing complex, the 12-acre site represents the largest new development in the neighborhood in decades.
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New York board gives gaming licenses to 3 NYC casinos

(L) Metropolitan Park. Credit: SHoP Architects, Field Operations; (M) Bally’s Bronx casino. Credit: Bally’s Bronx; (R) Resorts World NYC. Credit: Resorts World NYC

December 16, 2025

New York board gives gaming licenses to 3 NYC casinos

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is officially getting three casinos. The State Gaming Commission on Monday awarded licenses for Metropolitan Park across from Citi Field, Resorts World NYC at the Aqueduct Racetrack, and Bally's Bronx casino in Ferry Point Park. The decision marks the culmination of a years-long competition for the downstate licenses.
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Policy

Here are NYC’s most dangerous intersections

Looking from Avenue H, Nostrand Avenue and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

December 10, 2025

Here are NYC’s most dangerous intersections

By Aaron Ginsburg

There are nearly 120 intersections across New York City where five or more New Yorkers have been killed or seriously injured over the last three years, new data shows. The map, released on Tuesday by Transportation Alternatives, highlights these high-risk intersections across the five boroughs, where nearly three million pedestrians live within a half-mile of at least one. Street safety advocates are calling on the City Council to pass a bill requiring universal daylighting at every intersection—a measure introduced more than a year ago but not yet brought to a vote.
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Astoria’s 31st Street bike lane must be removed, judge rules

Credit: DOT

December 9, 2025

Astoria’s 31st Street bike lane must be removed, judge rules

By Aaron Ginsburg

A partially-installed protected bike lane along 31st Street in Astoria must be removed after a Queens judge ruled the city failed to follow proper procedures. In a ruling issued Friday, Judge Cheree Buggs ordered that the corridor be returned to its original state, despite work on the project already being underway. The judge found that the Department of Transportation (DOT) failed to show the project met legal certification requirements for notifying the FDNY, the Department of Small Business Services, and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. The court sided with local businesses and residents who filed the lawsuit, which argued the bike lane would compromise the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, despite city data suggesting otherwise, as Streetsblog reported.
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NYC sees 23 percent more new homes in first year of City of Yes

Credit: Daniel Lee on Unsplash

December 5, 2025

NYC sees 23 percent more new homes in first year of City of Yes

By Aaron Ginsburg

Housing production in New York City rose 23 percent in the first 10 months of 2025, since the passage of Mayor Eric Adams’ "City of Yes" housing plan, according to city data. Coinciding with the first anniversary of the plan's passage on Friday, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of City Planning Commissioner Dan Garodnick released new statistics showing that the city has permitted roughly 17,600 new homes through late October, a 22.8 percent increase from the same period in 2024. Key reforms under the plan include the legalization of accessory dwelling units, affordable housing bonuses, new zoning districts, reduced parking mandates, and more.
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Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

Images courtesy of NYC DEP

December 4, 2025

Prospect Park will get Brooklyn’s first ‘Bluebelt’ to protect area from flooding

By Aaron Ginsburg

To protect Prospect Park and nearby Brooklyn neighborhoods from flooding, New York City will spend $68 million on new infrastructure, including the borough’s first Bluebelt. Announced on Wednesday, the investment will fund nature-based solutions—like enhanced lakes and wetlands—to better manage extreme rainfall fueled by climate change. The project will safeguard the Prospect Park Zoo, which closed for eight months in 2023 due to flood damage, and protect surrounding neighborhoods from future flooding.
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See plan for 27-story rental tower above historic Fort Greene church

Proposed view looking west. Credit: FXCollaborative

December 3, 2025

See plan for 27-story rental tower above historic Fort Greene church

By Aaron Ginsburg

A developer is looking to build an apartment tower on top of a historic Fort Greene church. Strekte presented a proposal to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday for a 27-story tower above the landmarked Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church. During the hearing, the commission reviewed plans to restore the facade of the church at 144 St. Felix Street and perform demolitions necessary to construct a 27-story tower above it. After extensive public feedback, including concerns from neighboring One Hanson Place condo residents about blocked views, the LPC asked the development team to return at a later date once it had reviewed the points raised during the testimony.
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NYC selects vendor for 500 secure bike storage hubs

Credit: Tranzito

December 2, 2025

NYC selects vendor for 500 secure bike storage hubs

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has selected a vendor to install secure bike storage hubs at 500 locations across the five boroughs. The Department of Transportation on Monday announced that it chose Tranzito to create and operate a citywide network of secure bike parking structures, offering cyclists who lack in-home storage a safe place to keep their bicycles. The selection follows a 2024 request for proposals, and the city expects to award a five-year operating contract, with officials set to reveal additional designs and locations at a later date.
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Starbucks to pay $39 million in historic settlement over violation of NYC labor law

Photo by Anthony Fomin on Unsplash

December 2, 2025

Starbucks to pay $39 million in historic settlement over violation of NYC labor law

By Michelle Cohen

Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga announced on Monday a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks over violations of New York City’s law that guarantees fair working conditions. According to city officials, the resolution was the largest worker protection settlement in the city’s history. Starbucks agreed to the settlement after an investigation by DCWP showed the company had denied thousands of workers the legal right to stable schedules as well as the right to pick up additional hours, arbitrarily cutting schedules to prioritize their own bottom line over workers’ rights.
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Policy

New bill would revive single-room occupancy apartments in NYC

An SRO in the famous Chelsea Hotel, featured in a 2018 6sqft story. Photo by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft.

November 26, 2025

New bill would revive single-room occupancy apartments in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Looking for new ways to tackle the city’s housing shortage, a New York City Council member is calling for the return of single-room occupancy units (SROs). Council Member Erik Bottcher on Tuesday introduced legislation backed by the Department of Buildings that would allow the construction of SROs as small as 100 square feet for the first time in decades. The city once had as many as 100,000 SROs, but their numbers began declining in the 1950s as new laws restricted their construction and encouraged conversions, driven by stigma that linked the housing type to poverty and crime, according to the New York Times.
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Victorian Flatbush gains two new historic districts

The Ditmas Park West Historic District. Credit: Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 25, 2025

Victorian Flatbush gains two new historic districts

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's newest historic districts are two well-preserved areas of homes in suburban Flatbush. On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Beverley Square West and Ditmas Park West Historic Districts, which together include 247 freestanding homes built between 1894 and 1910, showcasing early 20th-century suburban architecture in the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles, or a mixture of the two. The most recent iteration of the districts includes minor boundary adjustments that exclude homes that do not share the same historic integrity as the rest of the district.
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Policy

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