New Density and Shrink-Wrapped Streets: Contextual Zoning Policy in New York City
Contextual zoning emerged in New York City (NYC) during the 1980s, and by the time Mayor Michael Bloomberg left office in 2013, over forty percent of the city’s tax lots were contextually zoned. While contextual zoning was first introduced to promote new development, certain land use experts criticize that contextual zoning converted into a euphemism for “downzoning,” with harmful implications for NYC’s ability to grow in the face of the city’s housing crisis. In this Note, we find that in many instances, contextual zoning did transform into a “shrink-wrapping” tool under the Bloomberg administration, and we argue that in an environment of exploding population density and severe affordability pressures, no community should be entitled to keep its neighborhood completely unchanged or underbuilt.
