NEW YORK CITY-On the cusp of a mayoral race—arguably one of the most watched and significant city elections in some time—the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter has issued a 30-point "Platform for the Future of the City” for all local politicians running for office this year.
“For our city to maintain its global competitiveness in attracting and retaining talent and business opportunities, elected leaders must envision the shape of the 21st-century metropolis,” says Jill Lerner, 2013 AIANY chapter president, in an announcement of the platform. “Quality design of buildings and the public spaces between them increase property values and propels the desire to be here.”
The document addresses issues in four areas—our buildings, our neighborhoods, our city and our world. The platform identifies the 30 most pressing challenges facing New York's built environment, ranging from streamlining city government approvals and creating affordable housing for an ever growing population to maintaining global competiveness and promoting design internationally as we grow business at home, the announcement states.
Among the suggested policy solutions are creating a deputy mayor post; building at least 100,000 units of housing; using zoning and incentives to continue tech sector growth; promoting active design and making simple changes to support an aging population.
More specifically, recommendations in each of the four areas are as follows. For our buildings, the report advises local leaders to create the position of deputy mayor of design and planning; make the NYC Development HUB–which has generated more than a billion dollars in economic activity–permanent; set a goal for at least 100,000 units of housing in the next ten years; reduce parking minimums in new buildings; construct new schools using quality design standards, and fund and retrofit existing schools to make better use of space; use zoning and incentives to encourage growth of the technology sector and related education.
In the our neighborhoods portion, AIA suggests identify undeveloped areas along rail lines for new development; complete partially-funded infrastructure-expansion projects, and commit funds to upgrade new transit systems; create more open space in the communities with the greatest need; encourage well-designed commercial districts that promote mixed-use growth and implement the Vision 2020 Waterfront Plan.
For our city, the report recommends officials make a series of simple improvements to the city to support an aging population; extend the use of Active Design Guidelines to encourage physical activity; elevate the Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability director to a commissioner position; require all new buildings to be built with new risk adverse zoning and construction standards and prioritize passing remaining Green Codes Task Force recommendations.
Lastly, in the Our World section, AIA suggests candidates for Mayor or other races lobby the federal government to create legislation that would allow international architecture students and architects to come and stay in the United States and practice and encourage and foster innovation and design excellence in all buildings.
“Using 'A Platform for the Future of the City' as a blueprint, we seek to engage civic and government leaders, along with the public, in a dialogue about making our neighborhoods and buildings models for the nation and the world,” says Rick Bell, AIANY executive director.
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Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
