Policy

New App Pivot Shows Historic Images and Videos of Your Exact Location
March 27, 2015

New App Pivot Shows Historic Images and Videos of Your Exact Location

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We've taken a look at a couple of fascinating websites that let users tour their city's history through historic photos or overlaid maps from 1600 to present day, but a new app is trying to reach a similar goal on your mobile phone in real time. Pivot is an augmented reality app that alerts users when they're near a "pivot point," at which time they can raise their phones and see pictures and videos of what that exact location looked like in the past. The app's creators hope this will become a historical preservation platform.
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Mayor’s Affordable Housing Plan Flawed, More Likely to Harm Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Nabes
March 26, 2015

Mayor’s Affordable Housing Plan Flawed, More Likely to Harm Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Nabes

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The revitalization of East New York is at the center of Mayor Bill de Blasio's affordable housing plan, but like his ambitious Sunnyside Yards project, his ideas for the fallen areas of Brooklyn are apparently also filled with holes. According to a piece published by the Wall Street Journal yesterday, de Blasio's plan to re-zone 15 neighborhoods to allow for taller and denser housing won't do much good for affordable housing. The main reason? The rents are too low. In fact, housing experts believe that his plan is more likely to hurt the character of Brooklyn's most tony areas, including Park Slope, Fort Greene, and Crown Heights, amongst many others.
More on their findings here
Smart Street Furniture Responds to the Needs of the Blind, Elderly and More
March 24, 2015

Smart Street Furniture Responds to the Needs of the Blind, Elderly and More

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Bullet trains, self-driving cars, autonomous people-moving pods, windowless jets with panoramic views of what's outside—transportation is without question rapidly evolving, but at the more basic level, infrastructure remains relatively unchanged in most major cities. The design of street lamps, crosswalks and other street furniture is generally a one-size-fits-all game that follows the needs of the average user, but the reality is that it takes far longer for an elderly woman to make her way across a busy intersection than it does a teen. Enter UK designers Ross Atkin and Jonathan Scott of RAA who have developed a system of “responsive street furniture” that adapts to the needs of the people using them. This means if you need more light, the street lamps will adjust. More time to cross? Done. Need to rest? A seat will unlock. And when a blind person walks past a streetlight, the post will read out the name of the store in front to help them orient themselves. So how does it work?
More about the high tech street furniture here
Manhattan BP Gale Brewer Unveils Plan to Save Small Businesses in NYC

Papaya King, a dying small business breed, via Papaya King via photopin (license)

March 24, 2015

Manhattan BP Gale Brewer Unveils Plan to Save Small Businesses in NYC

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Yesterday, standing inside the Upper West Side's Halal Guys restaurant, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer unveiled her "Small Business Big Impact: Opportunity for Manhattan Storefronts" report (PDF), which outlines ideas to help small businesses survive and thrive in a city where even Starbucks can't afford the rents. A major part of the plan is a mandatory negotiation period between landlords and commercial tenants, where the landlord would have to notify the store owner 180 days in advance of the end of the lease whether a renewal will be offered. The borough president and Councilman Robert Cornegy, chair of the small business committee, are drafting a proposed bill that would enforce the plan. "Small storefront businesses and vendors create jobs and add value, vibrancy, and diversity to our neighborhoods—New York would not be New York without them," asserted Brewer.
More details on Brewer's plan
In Case of Fire, Take the Elevator to Safety
March 20, 2015

In Case of Fire, Take the Elevator to Safety

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If you work in a tall tower, throw everything you ever learned about fire safety out the window because the Fire, Buildings and City Planning Departments are re-writing the rules. In response to the supertalls popping up across Manhattan, the agencies are looking to create more occupant-evacuation elevators that can be used to move people down a tower in the event of an emergency. Because, really, can you imagine trying to flee down 90 flights of stairs?
READ MORE
i Ready O Turns Old iPhones into Retro Radios
March 20, 2015

i Ready O Turns Old iPhones into Retro Radios

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As Apple releases new versions of the iPhone there are plenty of phones–those that have been discarded for not running the latest apps or holding a charge all day–filling our landfills. But Korean design studio PlusD is tackling the issue with their innovative i Ready O, which can turn any old iPhone into a new, cool radio. With minimalistic aesthetics inspired by the classic Dieter Rams designs for Braun, this object hacks Apple's planned obsolescence with sustainable design.
Learn more about i Ready O
New App YoTrain! Will Let You Know if You’re About to Miss the Subway
March 20, 2015

New App YoTrain! Will Let You Know if You’re About to Miss the Subway

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There's that moment of panic when you're running late to an important meeting or event and you can't decide whether to chance it and try to get on the train or just hop in the next cab you see. A new app called YoTrain! will alleviate this anxiety, alerting users within 200 feet of a subway station when the next train is coming. What's better is that the information comes in the form of a text and voice alert even if your phone is locked, so you don't have to be a cell phone zombie walking down the street. Think this is a genius idea? You're not alone. YoTrain!, created by Brooklyn-based tech developer Duong Nguyen, won a $10,000 grand prize in the MTA and AT&T's App Quest Challenge, an annual call for transportation-related apps for New Yorkers using MTA data.
Watch a video on the app here
5,484 Affordable Housing Units Could Be Lost if 421-a Abatement Isn’t Renewed, Says New Report

Brooklyn’s Pacific Park development, one of the pipeline projects examined in the report for it’s affordable housing offer. Rendering by COOKFOX

March 16, 2015

5,484 Affordable Housing Units Could Be Lost if 421-a Abatement Isn’t Renewed, Says New Report

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This morning the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) released a report today saying if the city fails to renew the existing 421-a partial tax exemption program, we could stand to lose thousands of affordable units. REBNY took a look at a sample of projects in the pipeline—including Essex Crossing, 5Pointz, Domino and Pacific Park, amongst others—and found that 421-a is responsible for 5,484 affordable apartments and 13,801 market-rate units in these developments. They argue that without the abatement the theses units would be in jeopardy and be "immediately be sent back to the drawing board." They add that some of the units could even end up as high-end luxury condominiums and some of the middle- and low-income housing now in the works would be lost forever.
Find out more
Nonprofits Urge the U.S. Treasury Department to Scrutinize Foreign Real Estate Buyers

The Time Warner Center, a hotbed of anonymous foreign investment

March 12, 2015

Nonprofits Urge the U.S. Treasury Department to Scrutinize Foreign Real Estate Buyers

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The media has been abuzz lately with talk of international mystery property buyers and the shell companies they use to hide their real names. Tired of the shady tactics, a group of 17 nonprofits is calling upon the U.S. Treasury Department to harder scrutinize foreign real estate buyers by verifying their actual identities and screening them for any risk of money laundering. The request came in the form of a letter sent to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network on Tuesday that asks for a repeal of a 2002 exemption from the Patriot Act that was granted to the real estate industry. The Patriot Act was signed into law in 2001 following 9/11 to heighten security and allow for broader means of investigation. Under the act, real estate professionals would be required to "conduct due diligence checks on their customers," according to the Times. But after the industry lobbied against this, they were exempted from the regulations.
More details ahead
City Proposes New Zoning Plan to Increase Affordability, Current Height Limits to Be Lifted
March 11, 2015

City Proposes New Zoning Plan to Increase Affordability, Current Height Limits to Be Lifted

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On the surface it sounds like a great idea: Adjust zoning regulations to better accommodate the Mayor's goal of preserving and creating 200,000 units of affordable housing. But some are angered that the proposal would lift current zoning protections and height limits by as much as 20 to 30 percent. According to the Department of City Planning, the newly released plan, called Housing New York: Zoning for Quality and Affordability, addresses the city's outdated zoning regulations that don't reflect today's housing needs or construction practices. However, an email from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation asserts: "The proposal would change the rules for ‘contextual’ zoning districts throughout the city–zoning districts which communities frequently fought hard to secure, to limit the height of new development and keep it in character with the surrounding neighborhood."
More information ahead
Architect Marc Kushner Discusses How Social Media Will Dictate Future Architecture
March 11, 2015

Architect Marc Kushner Discusses How Social Media Will Dictate Future Architecture

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Marc Kushner's architectural star has been on the rise over the last few years thanks to his booming practice, HWKN (Hollwich Kushner), and his super popular web venture Architizer (maybe you've heard of it?). So it only makes sense that TED would invite Kushner to offer up his thoughts on the state of architecture today and what he sees in its future—which happens to involve more of your input than you'd ever guess. In what is a quite an enlightening and inspiring talk, Kushner takes us through the architectural styles of the last thirty years, and more interestingly, how social media is completely transforming the profession.
watch the video here
March 11, 2015

POLL: Can #SaveNYC Win the Small Business Battle?

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On Monday, we took a look at #SaveNYC, a new campaign helmed by Jeremiah Moss of Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York that’s fighting to save the city from the superrich. Moss’ end goal is to get the Small Business Jobs Survival Act passed, “which would give businesses an opportunity to negotiate lease renewals and reasonable rent increases, […]

Owner of $100M Apartment at One57 Only Pays $17,268 in Property Taxes
March 9, 2015

Owner of $100M Apartment at One57 Only Pays $17,268 in Property Taxes

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Remember the $100 million apartment at One57, the most expensive ever in New York City? Well, the (presumably) billionaire buyer pays just $17,268 in annual property taxes on the unit, or 0.017 percent of its sale price, as if it were worth only $6.5 million, according to the New York Post. In contrast, the owner of a $1.02 million condo nearby at 224 East 52nd Street is paying $24,279, or 2.38 percent of its sale price. This is just one example of the fact that the owners of the city's ten most expensive apartments pay effective rates that are unbelievably lower than those paid on cheaper properties. How is this possible? It's in part due to the 421-a tax abatement, but more so due to the city's convoluted method of assessing market value for condos and co-ops.
More on the tax inequality here
#SaveNYC: Campaign Urges New Yorkers to Band Together to Save City from Superrich

Image via nyc.go

March 9, 2015

#SaveNYC: Campaign Urges New Yorkers to Band Together to Save City from Superrich

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"Small businesses in New York City have no rights. You’ve been here 50 years and provide an important service? Tough luck—your space now belongs to Dunkin’ Donuts. You own a beloved, fourth-generation, century-old business? Get out—your landlord’s putting in a combination Chuck E. Cheese and Juicy Couture." – Jeremiah Moss in today's Daily News. With out of control rents, insane land prices, and properties trading hands for tens of millions–if not hundreds of millions–New York has become a playground (and a bank) for the ultra-rich. While most of us complain about the rising the cost of living with little action beyond a grumble, others are far more affected, namely the "mom and pop" shops forced out to make way for high-rent-paying tenants such as Duane Reade, Chase and Starbucks. But all is not lost. The issue of small business survival seems to be gaining some traction, particularly with a new campaign called #SaveNYC launched by Jeremiah Moss of Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York.
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What if NYC Offered Subway Riders Free E-Books?

M Subway Library scan. Image via Fast Co. Exist

March 9, 2015

What if NYC Offered Subway Riders Free E-Books?

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Here's a cool idea we'd love to see implemented in Manhattan: A free e-library for folks who ride the subway. Earlier this year, Beijing subway operator Beijing MTR rolled out a new digital library that would allow its underground commuters to download a book, at no cost, by simply scanning a QR code inside a train car. As you may have guessed, the initiative is looking to get citizens to spend more time reading over mindlessly watching videos or playing games.
More on the new program
City Launches Educational Website to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the Landmarks Law
March 9, 2015

City Launches Educational Website to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the Landmarks Law

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In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and thereby the Landmarks Law, the city has launched a new educational website, landmarks.nyc, that will grow its content throughout the year. The site offers digital features, a schedule of free- and low-cost events at landmarked sites throughout the city, slide shows from the agency's historic photo archives, various blog posts, and walking tours.
READ MORE
New Website Will Help New Yorkers Find Out if Their Apartment Is Rent Stabilized
March 4, 2015

New Website Will Help New Yorkers Find Out if Their Apartment Is Rent Stabilized

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Let's face it, we all feel that we're paying too much for our tiny NYC apartments, and while for most of us that's just the name of the game, for others who are living in a rent-stabilized unit but being charged market-rate rent, it's actually true. Want to know if you fall into that boat? A new website called amirentstabilized.com will help you find out. The site allows renters to search their building to see if it's on the city's list of addresses with rent stabilized units. Unfortunately, it can't tell you if your specific apartment is one of them, but it's a great first step and provides resources for confirming your unit's status, as well as filing a complaint if you're being overcharged.
Find out more here
New Ruling: Landlords Can’t Kick a Bankrupt Tenant Out of Their Rent-Controlled Apartment
March 3, 2015

New Ruling: Landlords Can’t Kick a Bankrupt Tenant Out of Their Rent-Controlled Apartment

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Going broke will no longer mean losing out on your rent-controlled apartment in NYC. According to Bloomberg, city tenants who file for bankruptcy will now be able to keep the keys to their affordable apartments as public assistance. The decision is taken from two opinions formed by the New York State Court of Appeals and the Manhattan-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Previously bankrupt tenants faced a threat of eviction even when they were current on rent.
Find out more here
Ikea Releases Furniture Collection That Will Wirelessly Charge Your Phone
March 2, 2015

Ikea Releases Furniture Collection That Will Wirelessly Charge Your Phone

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The latest trend in the electric world is USB outlets, which allow you to charge your devices right there in the wall socket without a plug. That still requires getting off the sofa and walking the probably two feet over to the outlet, though, which can really put a cramp in one's "House of Cards"-binge-watching style. But thanks to a new furniture collection from Ikea, you can power up your phone without having to search for a cord and while still in the reclined position. The new line of lamps, bedside tables, and desks features integrated charging pads that allow users to simply place their wireless gadget on top.
Learn more about the new collection
Where Will Mayor de Blasio Land on the 421-a Tax Abatement Debate?

Mayor de Blasio via @KevinCase via photopin cc; affordable housing buildings via gkjarvis flickr

March 2, 2015

Where Will Mayor de Blasio Land on the 421-a Tax Abatement Debate?

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Developers have been rushing to break ground on projects before June, when the controversial 421-a tax abatement is set to expire, as it provides incentives to developers for up to 25 years when they reserve at least 20 percent of a building’s units for low- and moderate-income tenants. However, those against the 40-year-old program criticize it for using working people's tax dollars to build swimming pools and pet hotels for the world's billionaires; after all, the construction of One57, where a penthouse recently sold for $100 million, was built using subsidies from the program. But on what side of the debate does Mayor de Blasio, whose goal is to implement "the largest affordable housing program that any city, any state has attempted in a ten-year time span in the history of the republic," fall? Though many of his supporters oppose 421-a, in order to reach his goal of building 80,000 new affordable housing units–especially in places like East New York where a rezoning would be necessary to allow for denser construction that mandates the inclusion of permanently affordable apartments–de Blasio says he needs the program, according to Capital New York.
More on the 421-a debate here
City Council Proposes New Law That Would Allow Tenants to Sue Landlords for Using Airbnb

Via Airbnb

February 27, 2015

City Council Proposes New Law That Would Allow Tenants to Sue Landlords for Using Airbnb

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One week ago we learned of the landmark ruling to evict a rent-stabilized tenant from his ultra-luxe 450 West 42nd Street building for listing the unit on Airbnb for nearly triple what he was paying, a show of just how serious the city is about the issue. Now they're getting even more aggressive, as two City Council members want to pass a new law that would let tenants sue their landlords for renting out neighboring apartments as illegal hotels through Airbnb.
More details ahead
The Only Two Living Things in NYC to Have Been Landmarked Are Trees

Magnolia Grandiflora via Wiki Commons (L); Weeping Beech Tree via NY State Archives (R)

February 25, 2015

The Only Two Living Things in NYC to Have Been Landmarked Are Trees

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Last week we looked at the city's oldest and tallest tree in Alley Pond, Queens, which got us thinking about one of the questions at the Preservation Trivia night we recently attended. What are the only two living things in NYC to have ever been landmarked? We'll admit, we were stumped. We guessed Peter Stuyvesant's pear tree and the World Trade Center Survivor Tree, which were both wrong. But they are trees: the Weeping Beech Tree in Flushing, Queens and the Magnolia Grandiflora in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. And to make it even more exclusive, only the latter still survives; the Beech Tree died and was cut down in 1999.
Find out the history of how these landmarks came to be
February 25, 2015

POLL: Will the NYU Expansion Plan Move Ahead?

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After years of contention, we learned yesterday that opponents of the controversial NYU expansion plan would receive their final day in court to try to block the massive redevelopment. While Villagers have long been known as preservation pioneers (Jane Jacobs’ successful fight against Robert Moses’ destructive plans for the area is probably the best-known example), […]

NYU Expansion Plan Opponents Will Get Final Day in Court

A rendering of the expansion plan

February 24, 2015

NYU Expansion Plan Opponents Will Get Final Day in Court

By
In October, the appellate court overturned a previous decision by the New York Supreme Court that prohibited NYU's $6 billion, 1.9 million-square-foot Greenwich Village expansion plan, but community groups vowed to appeal the decision. And they most certainly kept their word. In a press release sent today by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), we've learned that the New York State Court of Appeals agreed to hear an appeal by GVSHP, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, Community Board 2, actor Mark Ruffalo, and other local concerned parties.
More info here
Rent-Stabilized Tenant Gets Evicted for Listing His Apartment on Airbnb in a Landmark Decision

Inside the apartment. Image via Airbnb

February 20, 2015

Rent-Stabilized Tenant Gets Evicted for Listing His Apartment on Airbnb in a Landmark Decision

By
If you were questioning how truly serious the city is about its beef against Airbnb, look no further than this landmark ruling to evict a rent-stabilized tenant from his ultra-luxe 450 West 42nd Street building. The Post reports that Henry Ikezi was just given the boot by a Manhattan Housing Court judge for posting his 46th-floor Hell's Kitchen apartment on the site for $649 per night, about triple what he was paying at $6,670 per month. The home's market value is upwards of $9,000.
More on the landmark case here
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