City Planning Commission

Upgrading New York City’s development rules for the 21st century 

Planning for the Future is the Pratt Center’s project to realign the city planning process in New York to be more inclusive and accountable – and therefore more effective at building a livable and sustainable city.

New York City’s development battles over the last decade – from Willets Point to the Kingsbridge Armory to the Far West Side and the Williamsburg waterfront – have exposed limitations of the current process for managing the city’s growth, and highlighted opportunities to engage New Yorkers as participants in planning. As the City Planning Commission moves to update the city’s zoning resolution, it’s time for the public to have a say in how a fresh vision for the city emerges and to have assurances that their voice will guide decisions about local and citywide plans.

The Pratt Center will be publishing special reports on problems and solutions in New York’s city planning process. They’re informed by a simple premise: that New York has much to gain by opening up long-term planning as a participatory venture. Planning for the Future builds on the work of the Campaign for Community-Based Planning, which produced the white paper "Planning for All New Yorkers" to inform future efforts at reforming New York's land use process.