City Council

City Council votes to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park

Photo credit: Bee on Unsplash

October 23, 2026

City Council votes to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park

By Michelle Cohen

The New York City Council on Thursday voted to end the use of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 2028. The bill in question, drafted with the cooperation of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office, passed by a veto-proof margin of 40 to 7, as expected.
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Policy

NYC Council passes bill giving nonprofits first dibs on buying distressed apartment buildings

Photo courtesy of Alex Krales/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

October 23, 2026

NYC Council passes bill giving nonprofits first dibs on buying distressed apartment buildings

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council on Thursday passed a bill that gives nonprofit groups first dibs on buying certain distressed properties, six years after the original legislation was introduced. Lawmakers voted to approve the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), which gives qualified nonprofit organizations, including community land trusts, the first opportunity ahead of for-profit developers to bid on troubled apartment buildings, which supporters say will preserve affordable housing.
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Horse-drawn carriages to be banned in Central Park after deal between Council and Mamdani

Credit: Bee on Unsplash

October 14, 2026

Horse-drawn carriages to be banned in Central Park after deal between Council and Mamdani

By Michelle Cohen

City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have reached an agreement on legislation that would end the use of the horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 2028, the New York Times reported. The issue has been a contentious one for over 150 years and the subject of fierce debate between animal rights activists and labor unions that represent the industry's drivers and business owners. The topic once again came to the forefront when a visiting teen died after being thrown from a carriage in June; according to Menin, the bill is likely to pass with a veto-proof majority in a council vote scheduled for October 22.
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Policy

City Council unveils plan for 5,000 new homes on Staten Island’s North Shore

Credit: Alex Krales/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

September 30, 2026

City Council unveils plan for 5,000 new homes on Staten Island’s North Shore

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council has unveiled a plan to transform Staten Island’s North Shore into a vibrant “downtown,” with more than 5,000 new homes, public realm upgrades, and jobs. Unveiled Friday by Speaker Julie Menin and Majority Whip Kamillah Hanks, "NorthShoreNYC" draws inspiration from similar initiatives in Jersey City and Hoboken, envisioning vacant and underutilized city-owned land along the waterfront as sites for mixed-use housing, public improvements, and new jobs. The project builds upon former Mayor Eric Adams' 2023 North Shore Action Plan while addressing how current zoning rules, a historical lack of coordinated planning, and inadequate public investment have prevented the waterfront area from becoming a walkable community.
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Affordable Housing

NYC Council announces slate of bills aimed at regulating AI

Credit: NYC Council on Flickr

September 25, 2026

NYC Council announces slate of bills aimed at regulating AI

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council has unveiled a slate of bills aimed at regulating artificial intelligence ahead of a rare full Council hearing with industry officials early next month. Speaker Julie Menin on Friday announced the proposals, which include measures that would prohibit businesses from deploying AI systems without third-party validation, require all AI systems deployed in the city to have a “kill switch,” and establish a first-in-the-nation incentive program allowing whistleblowers to receive a portion of fines or penalties recovered from AI companies. The Council is set to hold a “Committee of the Whole” hearing on October 5, with Meta confirmed to attend, along with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
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Policy

City Council to convene rare special hearing on AI risks, with industry leaders invited

Credit: NYC Council on Flickr

September 16, 2026

City Council to convene rare special hearing on AI risks, with industry leaders invited

By Aaron Ginsburg

Amid growing concerns about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, the full New York City Council will convene early next month to examine the technology’s potential risks, with AI industry leaders invited to testify. Speaker Julie Menin on Tuesday sent letters to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, inviting them to join the Council on October 5 for a special public hearing on AI. The hearing follows a recent incident in which OpenAI agents went rogue and hacked into a company’s infrastructure, as well as warnings from leading industry figures that AI could cause catastrophic harm, including human extinction.
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Policy

NYC Council passes bills to curb and compost dog waste

Photo credit: John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

August 14, 2026

NYC Council passes bills to curb and compost dog waste

By Michelle Cohen

The New York City Council passed a package of bills Thursday that take aim at the proliferation of dog poop on city sidewalks and parks. Among them is a measure that would create a composting program that turns dog droppings into compost rather than ending up in landfills. The Safe and Clean Outdoor Ownership Practices (SCOOP) Act was created to address growing complaints about the notably unscooped piles that remained after the blizzard this past winter.
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Policy

New NYC housing voucher program to be created as part of city budget deal

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 30, 2026

New NYC housing voucher program to be created as part of city budget deal

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will create a new program for housing vouchers that will expand rental assistance under a handshake budget agreement announced on Tuesday. The mayor and the City Council announced a $125.8 billion budget deal, which invests $300 million over two years in a new voucher program that could reach about 30,000 more New Yorkers. The agreement also requires Mayor Zohran Mamdani to drop his appeal of a court ruling ordering the expansion of the voucher program known as CityFHEPS, ending a legal battle that began under former Mayor Eric Adams over ballooning costs.
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Policy

NYC Council to hold hearing on Ryder’s Law after fatal Central Park horse-drawn carriage accident

Credit: Bee on Unsplash

June 19, 2026

NYC Council to hold hearing on Ryder’s Law after fatal Central Park horse-drawn carriage accident

By Aaron Ginsburg

The City Council will hold a hearing next month on Ryder’s Law, a bill that would phase out horse-drawn carriage rides, after a teenager was thrown from a carriage in Central Park and died this week. Speaker Julie Menin on Wednesday announced a July hearing on the legislation, which would phase out the city's horse-drawn carriage industry. A Council subcommittee nixed a previous version of the law in November despite support from former Mayor Eric Adams. In addition to the death of the 18-year-old tourist on Wednesday, there have been seven additional horse-related incidents over the last 13 months, including last week when a carriage horse had a medical emergency and died, according to the New York Times.
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What makes New York a sanctuary city—and is its status under threat?

Photo credit: via Pixabay

May 18, 2026

What makes New York a sanctuary city—and is its status under threat?

By Michelle Cohen

With a proud history of immigration through Ellis Island, New York City is home to more than three million foreign-born residents, 38 percent of the population, and over 500,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the Center for Migration Studies. With a long-held reputation as a safe haven, the city prides itself on being a “sanctuary city,” with policies firmly in place that aim to protect anyone targeted by immigration authorities, regardless of their status, except those with serious criminal convictions. New York City offers some of the nation’s most robust protection, but state legislation has lagged behind. What do sanctuary laws actually accomplish—and what's being done to improve their reach?
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Policy

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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City Council approves 72-story Downtown Brooklyn tower with 1,200+ apartments

All renderings courtesy of Binyan Studio and TenBerke Architects

March 11, 2026

City Council approves 72-story Downtown Brooklyn tower with 1,200+ apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to transform a Downtown Brooklyn office building into a massive mixed-use tower with over 1,200 new homes. The existing city-owned seven-story office tower at 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension will be replaced with a 72-story building, set to become the second-tallest building in the borough after The Brooklyn Tower. The project includes 1,263 new housing units, including 325 affordable apartments for households earning an average of 60 percent of the area median income (AMI).
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Bayside affordable housing project moves ahead, thanks to NYC’s new charter reforms

Credit: Department of City Planning

February 25, 2026

Bayside affordable housing project moves ahead, thanks to NYC’s new charter reforms

By Aaron Ginsburg

An anti-development New York City council member voted to approve a project in her district Sunday, citing a new ballot measure, supported by New Yorkers in November's election. Council Member Vickie Paladino, who represents District 19 in northeast Queens, voted to advance a 248-unit, eight-story development at 217-14 24th Avenue in Bayside. While she initially opposed the project, Paladino reversed course because the new measure gives a three-member appeals board, including the mayor, council speaker, and local borough president, to overturn rejections by the council.
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NYC passes landmark street vendor reform, including expanding permit cap

Credit: Hiroko Nishimura on Unsplash

January 30, 2026

NYC passes landmark street vendor reform, including expanding permit cap

By Aaron Ginsburg

Legislation to reform New York City street vending officially passed this week, after the City Council overrode Mayor Eric Adams' vetoes. One of the bills, Intro. 0431, sponsored by Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, makes an additional 2,200 supervisory license applications available annually from 2026 through 2031 and creates 10,500 new general vending licenses in 2027. The legislation package was part of 19 bills vetoed by former Mayor Eric Adams on his last day in office, despite Council approval in December. This week, the Council overrode 17 of the 19 vetoes.
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Policy

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

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

Aerial view of Randall’s and Wards Islands. Image via WikiCommons

December 19, 2025

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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Council kills bill banning horse-drawn carriages in NYC

Credit: Igor Wang on Unsplash

November 17, 2025

Council kills bill banning horse-drawn carriages in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

A City Council bill to phase out New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry has stalled after a committee voted against advancing it to a full Council vote. On Friday, the Council’s Committee on Health voted 1–4, with two abstentions, to block Ryder’s Law, sponsored by Council Member Robert Holden. The bill would end the city’s carriage horse industry by 2026 and help drivers transition to other jobs. Opponents, siding with the Transport Workers Union International (TWU), which represents carriage drivers, called the bill “ill-conceived and silly.”
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14,700 homes planned for Long Island City after Council approves largest rezoning in 25 years

Credit: Ruoyu Li on Unsplash

November 13, 2025

14,700 homes planned for Long Island City after Council approves largest rezoning in 25 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the city’s largest neighborhood rezoning in 25 years. The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan rezones 54 blocks of a largely industrial area of Long Island City to allow for 14,700 new homes, including 4,350 permanently affordable units. The plan will create a continuous public waterfront from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park and includes $2 billion in city commitments, unlocking more than 3.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial space and significant public-realm upgrades.
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NYC Council approves Jamaica rezoning, paving the way for 12,000 new homes

All images courtesy of DCP

October 31, 2025

NYC Council approves Jamaica rezoning, paving the way for 12,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nearly 12,000 new homes are coming to Jamaica, Queens, following the City Council’s approval of the neighborhood’s transformative rezoning on Wednesday. The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan updates zoning rules across 230 blocks of the transit-rich area, paving the way for thousands of new homes—roughly 4,000 of which would be permanently affordable. The plan, which includes the largest mapping of Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) in the city, will also add two million square feet of commercial space, create more than 7,000 jobs, and deliver $400 million in infrastructure upgrades.
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Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment approved by City Council

All images courtesy of NYCEDC, unless noted otherwise

October 30, 2025

Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment approved by City Council

By Aaron Ginsburg

The City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to transform the Bronx’s long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory into a mixed-use community hub with roughly 500 affordable homes. Led by the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), the El Centro Kingsbridge project will convert the historic armory into a vibrant facility featuring an event venue, recreation center, sports fields, and a public plaza, with a new affordable housing building next door. The approval marks a major milestone for the long-stalled site, following two failed redevelopment attempts that collapsed amid community opposition.
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City Council committees approve Long Island City neighborhood rezoning

Photo © Ondel Hylton

October 30, 2025

City Council committees approve Long Island City neighborhood rezoning

By Aaron Ginsburg

The proposed rezoning of Long Island City — which could deliver the most homes created by a neighborhood rezoning in 25 years — took another step toward reality this week. On Wednesday, the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Committee on Land Use approved the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan, expected to bring nearly 15,000 new homes, including 4,350 permanently affordable units, to a 54-block stretch of the Queens neighborhood. The vote followed Council Member Julie Won’s last-minute deal securing nearly $2 billion in city commitments, according to QNS.
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City Council overrides Adams’ veto of street vending bill

Credit: Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

September 11, 2025

City Council overrides Adams’ veto of street vending bill

By Aaron Ginsburg

The City Council on Wednesday voted to override Mayor Eric Adams' veto of a bill that decriminalizes most street vending violations in New York City. The measure, Intro. 47, removes misdemeanor penalties for general and food vendors, making them civil offenses instead. The Council first passed the bill with a veto-proof majority in July, but Adams vetoed it in August, saying it “sends the wrong message” as the city ramps up enforcement against illegal vending.
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Policy

Midtown South rezoning moves forward, 34th Street busway and protection for Garment District workers included

Photo © 6sqft

August 7, 2025

Midtown South rezoning moves forward, 34th Street busway and protection for Garment District workers included

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Midtown South rezoning received key approval this week, with new community and infrastructure improvements included in the deal. The City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on Wednesday voted to approve the Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) plan, which updates zoning rules for 42 blocks of the neighborhood to allow for 9,535 new homes, including 2,842 permanently affordable apartments, in an area where housing development has been largely restricted. In addition to lowering the residential density allowed on certain blocks in the original plan, the City Council and City Hall agreed to $488 million in community infrastructure investments, including a busway on 34th Street and protection for Garment District workers.
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