Understanding the History of New York\'s Land Use

Zoning and Land Use

Property Development and Zoning in New York

In most of the United States' cities, property development is the main economic growth strategy. Dating back to the 1950s through 1970s, local governments facing decentralization and low investment depended on federal financial assistance to manage constructions in their urban centers. However, the gradual fading of the federal government from the urban policy in more recent decades, gave cities power to control land development through the legal mechanism of bulk zoning. In addition, cities maintained the freedom to develop the property by providing the needed infrastructure and goods. Regulation of land usage and access to low-interests capital to enhance constructions by cities are crucial in the efforts of urban economic development

This is equally essential for economic development officials in international cities, especially those that focus on globally exported entertainment, business and in cases where accessing land is considerably important. On the other hand, when a city uses agglomeration and centrality as its strategic sources of maintaining or achieving competitive advantage, the markets in land often show support to the highest economic producers in terms of return per square foot of the used space in building or conducting the business. However, studies in this context have indicated that market elements do not automatically result to a mix of land utilization, which is widely optimal. This was evident prior to promulgation of extensive zoning resolutions.

During this time, lack of regulations to control market activities threatened the quality of life for the people who lived in the city and the possible production of the urban land. Although this was the case, planners of land were in a way tempering with land use by placing regulations on land use and density in individual parts of the cities. They also were viewed as tempering with land use when they provided extensive planning for communal or regional development. In so doing, they were viewed tempering, although the planners felt they were guiding the market in ways that would serve for long-term development in terms of the populations' economy and social interests

Data and Methodology

This study relies on prior studies that touched on land use and zoning, land use, zoning in New York. The study retrieved relevant information from official documents, and government databases, including websites. Moreover, the study is mainly descriptive.

Property-Led Development and Use Zoning

Property-Led development is a public sector tactic that aims at encouraging economic growth within a city developing regulations, which real estate investors should adhere to and can achieve value from land use. Extracting value from land usage has been the norm of cities since the beginning of metropolitan decentralization in the 1920s. Therefore, most of the American cities engaged in fostering property development, which the government was to fund. The cities received funds from the federal government for some time, until the year 1970, when the government withdrew the funds. This saw to the emergence of private sector in property development, and the private sector has thrived to date