On December 5, 2024, New York City adopted City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the most significant update to the city’s zoning code since 1961. The city faces a persistent housing shortage, with experts estimating that 473,000 additional housing units will be needed by 2032 to meet demand. City of Yes aims to address this this issue by increasing allowable housing density, facilitating office-to-residential conversions, and reducing parking requirements. In doing so, the initiative is expected to enable the creation of 80,000 new housing units over the next 15 years.

How City of Yes expands housing development

A key feature of the plan is the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) program, which allows developers in medium- and high-density areas to build 20% more housing if the additional units are affordable to households earning 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). This policy was designed to complement the 485-x tax incentive, ensuring that new residential projects remain financially viable.

The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) increases enabled by City of Yes vary by zoning district, street width, and whether the site is inside or outside the Manhattan core. Developments in historic districts still must adhere to the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s regulations to preserve neighborhood character.

Where does this create the biggest opportunity?

To better understand the impact of these zoning changes, our team at ArchTam mapped the new maximum allowable floor area under the UAP program. By comparing previous limits with new maximums, our team identified neighborhoods with the greatest newly unlocked development potential. Use the interactive map below to explore the impact of the City of Yes in each neighborhood. To find a specific area, use the search function in the top right corner. The legend is found immediately below the search function.

Percent Increase in Maximum Allowable Square Footage by Neighborhood

Some neighborhoods saw substantial increases in their development potential. Park Slope and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, along with Bronx Park in the Bronx, have seen the largest increases in maximum allowable square footage under City of Yes.

Available development rights by parcel

Our analysis also compared the existing built-out floor area with new maximums to identify unused development rights at the parcel level.

Most parcels receiving a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) boost under City of Yes saw an increase of less than 2.0. While these individual increases may seem modest, they collectively enable an additional 295 million square feet of development citywide.

Many of the City’s most underbuilt parcels tend to be in commercially zoned districts, which are largely unaffected by the UAP program. For example, Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center station in Brooklyn has a concentration of underbuilt commercial parcels near the transit hub, presenting an opportunity for additional transit-oriented development.

Beyond the UAP program, City of Yes also expands eligibility for office-to-residential conversions. Now, buildings constructed as recently as 1990 can be converted to housing in any area where residential uses are permitted. This shift could be particularly impactful in neighborhoods like Midtown Manhattan, where many office spaces remain underutilized.

Use the interactive map below to explore untapped development potential by parcel under City of Yes.

Unbuilt FAR by Parcel

What’s next?

With City of Yes now in effect, developers, city officials, and community members have new tools to help address New York’s housing shortage. Understanding how these zoning changes impact specific properties and neighborhoods is key to making the most of this opportunity.

Interested in learning more about development opportunities under City of Yes? Reach out to our team at ArchTam for data-driven insights and strategic planning support.

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The U.S. is fighting to remain resilient during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, as policymakers consider the path to recovery, infrastructure investment is emerging as a powerful economic stimulus tool. What solutions are necessary to bolster an economic recovery?

As with all crises, we are likely to witness vast changes in the economic, political, social, environmental and technological landscape, which, in turn, will impact infrastructure requirements. The recovery will need solutions that support and build on one another. Changes may range from zoning policy and social programs to integrated infrastructure investments and sector-specific growth opportunities. Even as we consider the potential adjustments, the overarching importance lies in extending scarce resources so that all Chicagoans benefit from the investments. Identifying potential co-benefits of every solution will be critical, as will focusing on the city’s most vulnerable communities, and understanding the economic feasibility and fiscal impacts of proposed investments.

How can infrastructure drive economic recovery?

Infrastructure programs have a long history of creating sustainable jobs and transforming cities and states. Investing in infrastructure has the power to create opportunities for tomorrow by restoring businesses and consumer confidence, as well as adding more jobs. Nearly 75 miles of streets were built in Chicago in the 1930s as part of the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration program that put millions of Americans to work on infrastructure projects during the Great Depression. According to the American Public Transportation Association’s 2020 Economic Impact of Public Transportation Investment report, enhanced infrastructure investment that’s sustained over 20 years can have five times the total effect on the economy as the annual expenditure.

How can innovation help secure resources and address the climate emergency?

The dual demands of climate change and urbanization are putting urban infrastructure under severe pressure. Meeting these challenges will require traditionally risk-averse industries such as water, transport and commercial real estate to change their operations. As an example, the combination of stimulus-funded infrastructure and environmental factors — such as public desire to maintain the air quality benefits of lockdown — could lead to an acceleration of electric and autonomous vehicles on our roads.

Advanced technologies can also help make our urban centers more resilient. Buildings that use a combination of technology and electric grid improvements can play a critical role in tackling climate challenges while reducing costs and improving health in the form of indoor environment for owners and tenants.

How can ArchTam help Chicago maximize its post-pandemic economic recovery?

There’s a growing recognition that in measuring value, we’ve been overly focused on narrow economic measures instead of wider social benefits. As governments move toward broader measures of societal progress, the challenge for built-environment professionals is to identify how they can best use their expertise to holistically benefit communities.

One great example of using infrastructure benefits for economic and social benefits is Chicago’s resilient/sustainable commercial corridor revitalization and more specifically the need and demand for urban projects in communities to drive economic development.

At ArchTam, we want to bring together our resources to support communities’ needs. The best projects can and do have clear and multiple returns on investment with benefits from creating jobs to reducing neighborhood flooding and traffic accidents.

Our teams could also help the City to identify locations suited for manufacturing as part of industrial corridor revitalization efforts. Given the economic impacts of the coronavirus, these corridors generate additional opportunities for investment and development, and Chicago’s transportation network of railways, waterways and highways, would contribute to the success of the manufacturing facilities.

For many, the pandemic has completely changed work habits and rituals. How will these collective differences shape the office of the future?

Every organization must renew their focus on creating safe and healthy environments — both physically and mentally — while continuing to develop workplaces that inspire employees. We must rethink the traditional work environment as many have realized that they can work from any location. The tangible result will be a shift in design strategies, for example, altering workspace locations for increased distance between employees.

ArchTam is helping our clients to maximize their building technology, empowering leaders and enabling them to monitor and better control workspaces. These ongoing changes will require adjustments to understand what is optimal for each building, each office and in many cases, each workforce team.

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What inspires you most in your new role as Houston executive?

I have always had tremendous respect for ArchTam as a leader in the global marketplace and especially admire the diversity of our workforce as a large global company. Houston’s client base and workforce are exceptionally diverse and embody an innovative culture that continues to be a growth engine for our region. My goal is for our two local offices to mirror the diversity and inclusion of Houston, which is one of the most diverse cities in the country.

The competition for talent isn’t showing signs of slowing. What sets ArchTam apart as the employer of choice in Houston?

ArchTam’s Houston office is growing. We currently have 28 open requisitions in a variety of disciplines and job levels. As the world’s premier infrastructure firm, our planners, designers, engineers, consultants and construction managers work with visionary clients, partners, colleagues and mentors and our people have access to the largest network of professional expertise in the industry. The variety of our cross-disciplinary work, coupled with the places you can go, make for a dynamic career experience. ArchTam offers talented professionals a scope and scale of opportunities that other firms cannot match. We are proud to employ more than 9,000 military veterans on projects around the world, across professions, disciplines and markets. Their leadership, team-building and analytical skills, coupled with an unwavering commitment to a job well done, are critical in making decisions in the face of uncertainty and ensuring safe operations in high-risk environments.

You’ve been at the forefront of developing revenue growth strategies for a wide range of multi-discipline industries. What strategy delivers consistently, even in unprecedented times?

A successful revenue growth strategy is multi-faceted; it’s the execution of best practices resulting from listening to our clients and applying innovative solutions to overcome their most complex challenges. We are currently advising our government and private clients during the coronavirus pandemic to help prepare for the anticipated economic stimulus. Now more than ever, if I’m doing my job as a leader, I must spend as much time with our customers as I spend mentoring our employees. When our clients are successful, we are successful, with growth being a byproduct.

The city continues to experience rapid growth. How is ArchTam addressing Houston’s changing infrastructure and helping cities ensure they are choosing the right solution at the right time?

ArchTam has been part of the Houston community for 50 years. While we are a global firm, our local employees are Houstonians and experience the changing demands of Houston’s infrastructure. We understand the need to develop smart and sustainable infrastructure. Our teams can leverage advanced technology and shared learning throughout the company to uniquely address infrastructure challenges. ArchTam’s designated Cities practice draws on our diverse expertise from across the company to help make cities better places for the future. As we continue our pursuit for the METRONext Program, a plan of 500 miles of travel improvements to ease traffic congestion, it will be critical to deliver future mobility enhancements spanning multiple ongoing projects that create a universally accessible built environment for Houston.

What does the future hold for the city of Houston over the next 5-10 years?

Based on the past decade, Houston will remain on a growth trajectory into the foreseeable future. The population is projected to reach 10 million in the next 15 to 20 years – the equivalent of adding the combined city population of Dallas and San Antonio to the Houston metro area. Developing the infrastructure to support Houston’s strategy to meet the growing demand is paramount and improving connectivity through innovations in mobility will provide a strategic advantage to Houston to retain and attract new businesses. ArchTam is at the forefront of developing solutions to address these challenges and excited to be part of the future of Houston.

Who inspires you most as a leader?

For me, my inspiration comes from within. It’s triggered by my sense of responsibility to others. I do best in team environments that are fueled by determination and desire to see the invisible and accomplish the impossible, which in turn embodies my passion for leadership.

Staying safe on and off the job is a top priority at ArchTam. What is our company doing to address concerns during this current climate?

In the U.S., ArchTam has quickly and effectively pivoted our global workforce to deliver work remotely in accordance with nationwide mandated stay-at-home orders. Our interpretation of government orders, including in Texas, is that the work we perform is “essential” so our physical office locations remain open for designated employees. We still maintain a considerable number of staff who are working in the field to deliver on projects. In every case, we maintain adherence to CDC guidelines as we prioritize the safety of our people while maintaining business continuity on vital client projects.

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There are significant global challenges to address for which there are no simple solutions, no straightforward answers.

At the same time, both ArchTam EMEA Chief Executive Lara Poloni and I found plenty of reasons to be optimistic, collecting insights and sharing many experiences at this annual gathering of business leaders and policymakers from which to draw inspiration.

For example, there’s incredible passion and resolve among young, emerging leaders advancing new ideas, technology breakthroughs addressing everything from early detection of breast cancer to reducing e-waste, global initiatives aimed at upskilling millions of workers and  partnerships designed to unlock private investment and encourage entrepreneurship.

Underpinning many of the responses to boost economic growth, protect the environment and improve mobility, connectivity and quality of life was infrastructure. In fact, there weren’t many topics that were covered in Davos that our company isn’t part of or thinking about.

As Lara and I engaged on panels and side-bar conversations with clients and leaders from countries around the world, we were able to draw upon the experiences of more than 87,000 colleagues focused every day on delivering transformational outcomes – the kind of outcomes necessary to avert many of the gloomy predictions we heard.

We also had the opportunity to release our 2nd annual research report: The Future of Infrastructure, Voice of the People.

I left Davos feeling proud and energized, with new appreciation for the critical role businesses like ArchTam must play – both in the work we do and through our leadership.

We’ve long understood the value that infrastructure creates. A new Business Roundtable economic study, in fact, finds that in the United States, every $1 invested in roads, bridges, airports, waterways, ports and more can generate nearly $4 in economic growth.

This return on investment isn’t lost on government leaders. Because even with a global undercurrent of uncertainty, there remains an incredible need for modern infrastructure – a need measured into the trillions of dollars.

Government leaders are looking for ideas and partnerships with the private sector to increase the pipeline of bankable projects globally, build capacity and integrate technology to reduce cost and shorten timelines.

This is where I see tremendous opportunities for companies like ours. Not just to design, protect and build – or in the case of cities or regions devastated by natural disasters, build back better– but to demonstrate greater leadership through innovation and advocacy.

New digital tools and pioneering technologies give us the ability to deliver projects faster, better and safer. They allow us to help our clients adapt for what’s next – like electrifying highways to charge connected vehicles, building modular, helping make business and governments more secure and cities smarter.

We can champion resilient infrastructure solutions that address stresses posed by climate change, while also incorporating technologies that can reduce contributing factors, such as carbon emissions. We can also advocate for policies that break down barriers, promote alternative financing, balance risk and advance long-term infrastructure planning that extends beyond administrations and political change.

Our Davos experience this year reaffirms my view that our company, our industry and the business community at large must take on greater responsibilities to work with elected leaders, media, academics and others to find meaningful solutions. We have to think more globally, more creatively – especially at a time when some governments are narrowing their focus.

Walking away from Davos discouraged is the easy way out.

Staying true to our purpose, adhering to the values that define our company and delivering the transformational projects and services for which ArchTam is known will always be the better path for us and the communities and people we impact through our work.

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