City Council

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

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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NYC could lose 300,000 parking spots under new street safety bill

Credit: Nick Kelly on Unsplash

August 4, 2025

NYC could lose 300,000 parking spots under new street safety bill

By Aaron Ginsburg

Parking could become more difficult under a new City Council bill that would eliminate up to 300,000 spaces citywide in an effort to improve street safety. Intro. 1138 would ban vehicles from parking within 20 feet of crosswalks and improve visibility by adding "daylighting" structures, such as planters and bike racks, to protect sightlines for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. The bill would bring New York City in line with existing state law, which already prohibits parking within 20 feet of intersections, according to City & State.
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City Council to override Adams’ veto of street vending bill

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

August 1, 2025

City Council to override Adams’ veto of street vending bill

By Aaron Ginsburg

The City Council intends to override Mayor Eric Adams' veto of a bill that would decriminalize most street vending violations in New York City. Intro. 47-B, passed by the Council in June with a veto-proof majority of 40-8 and three abstentions, was vetoed by Adams last Wednesday. He argued the bill “sends the wrong message” amid the city’s increased enforcement against illegal vending. The override vote is expected at the Council’s full meeting on August 14, according to Spectrum News.
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Policy

Adams vetoes City Council’s rejection of Bally’s Bronx casino bid

Credit: Bally’s Bronx

July 31, 2025

Adams vetoes City Council’s rejection of Bally’s Bronx casino bid

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed the City Council's rejection of Bally's Bronx casino proposal, potentially reviving the bid. On Wednesday, Adams announced his veto of the Council’s recent vote, which denied a crucial rezoning needed for the proposed gaming facility at the former Trump-owned Ferry Point Park. The Council now has 10 days to secure the 34 votes required to override the veto.
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Policy

New legislation ends criminal penalties for NYC street vendors

Credit: Marco on Flickr

July 9, 2025

New legislation ends criminal penalties for NYC street vendors

By Aaron Ginsburg

The City Council last month passed legislation that decriminalizes most street vending violations in New York City. Sponsored by Queens Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Intro. 47 removes misdemeanor criminal penalties for general and food vendors and reduces them to civil offenses instead. The legislation comes amid a sharp rise in NYPD enforcement: officers issued over 9,300 tickets to vendors in 2024, more than double the total in 2023, according to City Limits. With 96 percent of the city’s street vendors being immigrants, according to the Immigration Research Initiative, criminal penalties heighten the risk of deportation under the Trump administration’s intensifying immigration crackdowns.
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Policy

As part of $116B budget deal, city will expand 7-day library service

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 30, 2025

As part of $116B budget deal, city will expand 7-day library service

By Aaron Ginsburg

Ten New York City public libraries will now be open seven days a week, thanks to $32.7 million in funding included in the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget. On Friday, Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced a $115.9 billion budget agreement for FY26. Other key investments include over $70 million for immigration legal services, as well as funding for mental health care, public safety programs, and expanded child care and early childhood education.
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Policy

City Council approves Related’s Hudson Yards West plan for 4,000 apartments and no casino

Images courtesy of Related Companies

June 12, 2025

City Council approves Related’s Hudson Yards West plan for 4,000 apartments and no casino

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to approve zoning changes to allow for thousands of new apartments, but not a casino, on the undeveloped section of Hudson Yards. Related Companies' Hudson Yards West proposal includes four mixed-use towers, nearly seven acres of public green space, and 4,000 apartments. The original plan called for a casino run by Wynn Resorts, but Related scratched the gaming facility from the project last month amid strong opposition from community members and officials.
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Policy

4,600 new homes coming to Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights after NYC Council approves Atlantic Ave rezoning

Rendering of Atlantic Avenue’s improved, and safer streets, courtesy of DCP

May 29, 2025

4,600 new homes coming to Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights after NYC Council approves Atlantic Ave rezoning

By Aaron Ginsburg

Thousands of new homes will be built along a largely industrial stretch of Atlantic Avenue in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights. The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to approve the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, which rezones 21 blocks to allow for 4,600 apartments, including 1,900 permanently affordable units, more affordable housing than has been constructed in the area over the last decade. The plan also comes with $235 million in community investments, park renovations, and infrastructure upgrades.
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Council approves bill to double number of public bathrooms in NYC

The Beaux Arts-style public bathroom in Bryant Park is one of the city’s nicest. Photo by SnowFire via Wikimedia Commons.

April 11, 2025

Council approves bill to double number of public bathrooms in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

Finding a public bathroom in New York City may get a bit easier, thanks to new legislation passed this week. The City Council on Thursday voted to approve a bill expanding public restroom access across the five boroughs by doubling the current number of facilities from roughly 1,100 to 2,120 over the next decade. NYC currently has among the fewest public restrooms per capita in the country, with around one bathroom for every 7,800 residents. Proponents of the legislation aim to raise that number to one restroom for every 2,000 residents.
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Policy

Hochul backs city’s broker fee ban set to take effect this June

Council Member Chi Ossé held a press conference before the City Council voted on the FARE Act. Photo credit: Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

April 3, 2025

Hochul backs city’s broker fee ban set to take effect this June

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday came out in support of a law banning forced broker fees amid a legal challenge from a real estate lobbying group. In a video posted online, the governor backed Council Member Chi Ossé's Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act, which shifts the payment of broker fees from renters to landlords. Soon after the bill became law last year, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) sued the city to stop it from taking effect in June, claiming it preempts New York State law.
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Policy

Council passes legislation to reduce NYC’s 400 miles of scaffolding

Photo by William Alatriste/NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr

March 27, 2025

Council passes legislation to reduce NYC’s 400 miles of scaffolding

By Aaron Ginsburg

Scaffolding may soon have less of a ubiquitous presence in New York City. The City Council on Wednesday passed a series of bills reforming sidewalk shed rules to shorten how long the barriers can remain up and allow for new, more appealing designs. The city currently has over 8,400 sidewalk sheds that take up roughly 400 miles of sidewalk. On average, the structures remain in place for over 500 days; over 300 sheds have stood for over five years.
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