Skip to main content

Planning & Land Use

New York City regulates how land is used throughout the five boroughs. When regulations are changed, the City Council must approve the changes.

Upcoming Public Hearings

June 17th, 2026 – Subcommittee on Zoning & Franchises: 11:00am 

250 Broadway, 8th Floor, Committee Room 3, New York, NY 10007

To testify at this hearing on the following item(s), please register here: 

  • 198-208 Richmond Terrace
  • 164th Street Rezoning
  • 50-20 108th Street Rezoning

You may submit written testimony to landusetestimony@council.nyc.gov. Written testimony will be accepted up to 72 hours following the completion of the public hearing.

Guidelines for Submitting Testimony

The City Council will not play pre-recorded testimony from members of the public at our hearings. The City Council only accepts written testimony submitted in a commonly available file format (including .doc, .rtf, .txt and .pdf) up to 72 hours after the hearing has been closed. Links to video or audio files may be included in the written testimony, provided that a transcript of each such video/audio file also be included in such testimony.  Testimony may be submitted in person during the hearing, via email at testimony@council.nyc.gov, or at https://council.nyc.gov/testify/

For questions about accessibility or to request ASL, CART, or any other accommodation, please contact the EEO Officer at EEOOfficer@council.nyc.gov or call (212) 788-6936 at least three (3) business days before the hearing. If you need non-English language interpretation, please email translationservice@council.nyc.gov at least three (3) business days before the hearing. Please include the following information in your email:

  • Name and date of the hearing
  • Your full name, telephone number, and email address
  • Language requested and whether simultaneous and or consecutive interpretation is needed

For all other questions, reference hearings, email hearings@council.nyc.gov, or call 212-482-4219.

Neighborhood Rezonings Tracker

Local Law 175 of 2016 requires the Administration to publish and maintain a list of the capital and programmatic commitments associated with neighborhood-scale rezonings and provide an annual progress report detailing the status of each initiative. See the Neighborhood Rezonings Tracker to learn more about the status of planning commitments that the Council has negotiated for neighborhood plans and the City of Yes citywide initiatives. 

The City Council’s Land Use Committee

The City Council’s Land Use Committee has jurisdiction over zoning actions, landmark designations, and City land and public facility actions. The Committee also oversees two subcommittees, each led by its own Chair, that focus on specific types of land use actions:

For example, a rezoning application would be reviewed by the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, while a proposed landmark designation would be reviewed by the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, Resiliency, and Dispositions.

Legistar Links

The Planning & Land Use Division

The Council is supported by a dedicated team of city planners, attorneys, and administrative staff that support Council Members and the Land Use Committee. This division helps the committee Chairs conduct hearings and analyze land use issues on behalf of Council Members.

The Division was formerly known as the Land Use Division. In 2021, it was changed to the Planning & Land Use Division to reflect the importance of planning as a foundation of the land use process. Planning involves understanding the conditions and challenges facing our city and its neighborhoods, identifying shared goals and principles, and applying policies to address and achieve them. It requires an intentional, forward-looking approach and ensuring that decisions collectively align with these goals, as well as meaningful and deep engagement of communities.

Before land use applications enter public review and are eventually considered by the Council, a planning process should take place. This process includes evaluating existing conditions in the affected area and engaging a range of stakeholders stakeholders, including City agencies, community members, residents, and elected officials.

Key Land Use Terms

Zoning

Zoning controls what property owners can do with their land (such as build apartments or a factory) as well as how large buildings can be. When the Mayor or a developer wants to change the zoning, they must go through a public review process involving hearings at the Community Board, the Borough President, the City Planning Commission, and City Council. The Council has the final say in whether the zoning is changed.

Landmarks

The Landmarks Preservation Commission designates landmarks and historic districts. The Council can approve, modify, or disapprove the Commission’s decision. Once a building is “landmarked,” the owner must apply for permission to alter the façade, to build additions, or to demolish the building

City Land & Public Facilities

The City often buys, sells, or leases real estate for a specific purpose, such as building a new school, renting an office for an agency, or buying land upstate to protect the City’s water supply. Or the City might sell land to a business so they can expand and employ more people. Or the City might give land to a developer building affordable housing, often with tax exemptions that make the apartments even more affordable. When the City buys or sells land, or gives a tax exemption, the Council can approve or disapprove these actions.

The Land Use Process at the Council Stage of ULURP

Step 1: Submission of Application to the Council

When a land use action reaches the Council, an application is submitted describing the proposed project. Council Members and staff review the application and analyze its potential impacts on the city as a whole and the local community.

Step 2: Subcommittee Review

Applications are referred to the appropriate subcommittee, which holds a public hearing and votes on the proposal.

Step 3: Land Use Committee Review

Following the subcommittee’s hearing and vote, the Land Use Committee reviews the application and votes on whether to approve, modify, or disapprove it.

Step 4: Full Council Vote

The full City Council, consisting of 51 members, votes on the application.

Step 5: Mayoral Approval or Veto

The Mayor may approve or veto the Council’s decision. The Council may override the Mayor’s veto with a two-thirds vote.

Initiatives

History

Until 1989, the Council had no authority over land use issues. The Board of Estimate had controlled land use issues throughout the five boroughs. However, in the 1980s, the Board of Estimate was declared unconstitutional. And in 1989, the Council was given its land use powers and created the Land Use Committee and the Land Use Division.

Mayoral Agencies

The City Council controls one specific part of the land use process, but Mayoral agencies handle many other aspects. The Department of City Planning is responsible for zoning, for instance, while the Landmarks Preservation Commission handles landmarks and historic districts.