• Agency: NYC Department of City Planning (NYC DCP)
• Status: Currently Available

Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) addresses several ways in which New York City’s zoning regulations have, in practice, discouraged the quality and affordability of recent buildings. Regarding affordability, ZQA aims to make it easier for developers to produce needed affordable senior housing and care facilities, to enable mixed-income housing, and to reduce the costs of building affordable housing near public transportation. In terms of quality, ZQA aims to change rules to allow for more various and lively pedestrian spaces, encourage higher ground-levels to accomodate for retail spaces and residential units, and ensuring that rules are relevant to their zoning districts. Examples of regulation changes under ZQA include allowing for buildings with affordable or senior housing to be taller and eliminating parking requirements for affordable housing or affordable senior housing that is located near subway lines (Transit Zone).