East village rezoning
Encyclopedia
The East Village rezoning in 2008 modified much of the zoning in New York City's East Village
. The area affected by the rezoning roughly bounded by East 13th Street on the north, Third Avenue on the west, Delancey Street on the south, and Avenue D on the east. It was the first time that a rezoning had occurred in the area since 1961.
and increased property values over the Lower East Side
's historic status as a home to New York's low-income immigrant communities and their needs for affordable housing. Residents of Chinatown
, which is adjacent to the southern boundary of the rezoning area, were worried that by blocking the construction of tall, slender towers in the East Village, developers wishing to build in that style would turn their sights to Chinatown. Most of Chinatown is zoned as commercial districts, which are relatively lax in terms of building character and land use regulations. This led the Community Boards
in the area (Boards 1
, 2
, and 3
) to create the Chinatown Working Group in order to address the concerns of residents and to work to preserve Chinatown's particular character, employment opportunities, and affordable housing.
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
. The area affected by the rezoning roughly bounded by East 13th Street on the north, Third Avenue on the west, Delancey Street on the south, and Avenue D on the east. It was the first time that a rezoning had occurred in the area since 1961.
Zoning Amendment
The rezoning was done in response to the character of some of the new buildings in the neighborhood. The previous zoning limited the area of floor space that a building could have, but there were no limits on building heights or on setbacks from the street. The new zoning established height limits for new development throughout the affected area, decreased allowable density much of the midblock residential areas but increased it along wider thoroughfares, capped air rights transfers, eliminated the current zoning bonus for dorms and hotels, and created incentives for the creation and retention of affordable housing.Public Response and Criticism
The rezoning process and hearings were marked by protests and accusations of promoting gentrificationGentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
and increased property values over the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
's historic status as a home to New York's low-income immigrant communities and their needs for affordable housing. Residents of Chinatown
Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan's Chinatown , home to one of the highest concentrations of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere, is located in the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
, which is adjacent to the southern boundary of the rezoning area, were worried that by blocking the construction of tall, slender towers in the East Village, developers wishing to build in that style would turn their sights to Chinatown. Most of Chinatown is zoned as commercial districts, which are relatively lax in terms of building character and land use regulations. This led the Community Boards
Community Boards of New York City
The Community Boards in New York City are the appointed advisory groups from various districts throughout each of the Five Boroughs of New York City. All of the boards consist of fifty volunteer individuals named by the relevant Borough President except for sitting City Council members who serve...
in the area (Boards 1
Manhattan Community Board 1
The Manhattan Community Board 1 is a local government unit of the city of New York, encompassing the neighborhoods of Battery Park City, the Financial District, the South Street Seaport, and TriBeCa in Lower Manhattan in the borough of Manhattan...
, 2
Manhattan Community Board 2
The Manhattan Community Board 2 is a local government unit of New York City, encompassing the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, West Village, NoHo, SoHo, Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy in the borough of Manhattan. It is delimited by Bowery on the east, Canal Street on the south, the...
, and 3
Manhattan Community Board 3
The Manhattan Community Board 3 is a local government unit in the New York City borough of Manhattan, encompassing the neighborhoods of Alphabet City, East Village, Lower East Side, Chinatown and Two Bridges...
) to create the Chinatown Working Group in order to address the concerns of residents and to work to preserve Chinatown's particular character, employment opportunities, and affordable housing.