A Framework for Neighborhood Plan Post-Rezoning Evaluations

The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) is the government agency responsible for guiding the city’s land use and zoning policies. As part of its work, DCP advances neighborhood plans to support long-term visions in housing production, economic opportunity, resiliency, and capital investment, ultimately shaping the development of New York City. The Capstone team produced a framework for evaluating these neighborhood plans, also known as rezonings, to better understand the impact on housing supply and affordability, socioeconomic conditions, transportation, economic activity, and neighborhood character. The Capstone team then used this framework to evaluate the 2017 East Harlem Rezoning, interviewing key stakeholders and analyzing existing data to show how the framework could be implemented. The evaluation framework draws on previous studies in urban and land use planning, as well as best practices from other U.S. cities. The Capstone team recommends that DCP evaluate neighborhood plans 10 years after approval to understand the impact of land use decisions and publicize findings to prioritize government transparency.