In the classic book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs once said, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” And this same theory could, and should, be applied when analyzing New York University’s 2031 expansion plan.

Whether you agree or disagree with the project, there’s one huge flaw that sticks out in the city’s overall planning process here. For all its proposals, studies, special zoning districts and other tools available to the public, the New York City Department of Planning has no institutional master plan in place, as thoughtfully pointed out by Gary Hack, professor of urban design and former dean of PennDesign at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design at the Municipal Art Society’s recent debate about the project.

Hack said other cities, such as other “university towns” like Philadelphia and Boston, have these plans set-in place to provide a blueprint for how colleges, universities and institutions can grow, and to showcase where economic growth is needed. This approach could not only pinpoint where additional development could be supported, but where the additional density makes sense.