40 Initiatives Offer Roadmap for Future, Including Five Focus Areas for 2023 to Make NYC Best Place to Work
Action Plan Goals Include Reimagining 24/7 Commercial Districts, Shortening Commutes to Work, and Generating Inclusive, Future-Focused Growth
Plan Builds on Recommendations Crafted by 59-Member “‘New’ New York” Panel Led by Former NYC Deputy Mayors Richard Buery and Dan Doctoroff
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul today released “‘New’ New York: Making New York Work for Everyone,” set of 40 proposals intended to make New York City the best place to work and serve as a roadmap for the city’s future. The New New York panel was launched in May 2022 and is being led by co-chairs and former New York City deputy mayors Richard Buery, now CEO of Robin Hood, and Daniel Doctoroff, former CEO of Sidewalk Labs. The broad and diverse panel of civic leaders and industry experts worked for six months to generate recommendations for the city and state — at a time of historic alignment between the two — to partner with each other and across sectors to reimagine a “New” New York that propels the city and the region forward for its next chapter of equitable, inclusive growth.
“New Yorkers have been through so much in the last three years, and as society shifts in significant ways, the last year has brought remarkable signs of recovery thanks to our resilience and creativity,” said Mayor Adams. “Our administration is committed to building a ‘New’ New York — a safer, fairer, and more prosperous city that will continue to adapt and thrive throughout the 21st century. And this plan lays out a clear vision for coordinated city, state, nonprofit, and private sector action to reenergize the areas still struggling from the pandemic and supercharge those with new momentum. I want to thank Governor Hochul and the entire panel for their partnership in this critical effort to put our city on the right track, and I look forward to moving that work forward together.”
“Thanks to an extraordinary partnership with Mayor Adams and the New New York Panel, this report is providing the road map toward a stronger, fairer, and more accessible New York,” Governor Hochul said. “We are no longer living in the same New York as we were at the beginning of the pandemic, and these proposals will help to revitalize our business districts, ease New Yorkers’ commutes, promote equity and tackle our 800,000-unit housing shortage. These are the types of bold, ambitious ideas we need right now, and my administration looks forward to closely reviewing the panel’s recommendations in the coming weeks to determine how we continue to make New York an even better place to live.”
“New York City has always been a beacon of hope and an engine of opportunity. I am so proud that today, the ‘New’ New York Panel, alongside Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, are releasing our report — advancing a bold vision to reimagine New York post-pandemic as an inclusive, future-focused city, with central business districts where people live, work, and play 24/7; transportation policies that make it easier to get to where they want to go; and growth strategies that ensure that all New Yorkers benefit from our recovery,” said Richard R. Buery, Jr., co-chair, ‘New’ New York panel; and CEO, Robin Hood. “While the pandemic turned our world upside down, it also presented a generational opportunity to make New York City the best place in the world to live and to work. Now it’s up to us to make sure that the vision articulated in these pages turn into action and that New York commits to break down the barriers that have prevented so many New Yorkers from realizing their dreams and aspirations.”
“Out of crisis comes opportunity. While the pandemic and the problems it has created, especially its impact on the way we work and our commercial districts, are significant, New Yorkers never back down from a challenge,” said Daniel Doctoroff, co-chair, “New” New York panel; and former CEO, Sidewalk Labs. “The panel’s report is comprehensive and bold and, most important, has the once-in-a generation alignment of the governor and mayor. We have the opportunity to spur growth that is equitable, get people where they need to go faster, reimagine our key commercial districts, and make New York City the best place to work no matter what you do or where you do it from.”
Cover of “‘New’ New York: Making New York Work for Everyone.” Credit: “New” New York Panel
While the initial scope of the panel focused on reviving New York City’s business districts — especially those that have been slower to recover in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic like Midtown and Lower Manhattan — the panel quickly expanded its focus to address a wider range of interconnected challenges affecting all New Yorkers, from transportation to housing and from public space to childcare. The city and state’s action plan reflects this expanded focus by proposing three overarching goals that work together to ensure that New York works for all New Yorkers:
- Reimagine New York City’s commercial districts as vibrant 24/7 destinations: Transforming New York City’s single-use business districts into great places where people live, work, and play.
- Make it easier for New Yorkers to get to work: Improving commutes into Manhattan while strengthening employment hubs and workspaces across the five boroughs so people can work closer to home.
- Generate inclusive, future-focused growth: Supporting the growth of jobs and innovation and breaking down barriers to economic mobility.
Across those three goals, the plan proposes 40 initiatives — to be advanced through legislation, policy changes, additional funding, and other actions — that Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul embrace as a roadmap for the future, including the following five key areas of action for 2023:
- Make Midtown and other business districts more mixed-use and flexible: Actions include facilitating market-based conversion and redevelopment of outdated office buildings to residential uses, easing conversion of buildings built before December 1990, eliminating the 12 floor area ratio cap on residential buildings, and passing the ‘City of Yes for Economic Development’ zoning text amendment to create needed flexibility to fill vacant storefronts and allow businesses to evolve and expand.
- Create modern, pedestrian-oriented districts with major public realm interventions: Actions include appointing a director of public realm at City Hall to oversee all public realm-related policies and projects, advancing a coordinated master plan to reclaim street space for new pedestrian and cyclist spaces in Midtown, and bringing public realm improvements to business districts and job hubs in all five boroughs.
- Increase the supply of housing by removing regulatory barriers to housing growth across the city, to increase affordability, reduce displacement and encourage inclusive communities,ensure workers have access to stable housing, and give employers confidence that they can retain and attract talent in New York City. To meet this urgent moment of our housing crisis, this set of city and state legislative changes will encourage housing production for all income levels to address the need for hundreds of thousands of new housing units across the city and state over the next decade.
- Increase access to jobs and decrease commute time to Midtown and other business districts: Actions include dramatically expanding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) CityTicket program to make all Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad trips, including peak travel, that begin and end within New York City cost only $5, while encouraging greater housing density around downstate regional transit-oriented development.
- Help working families participate in the labor force and drive an equitable recovery by making childcare accessible and affordable: Actions include continuing to implement the city’s childcare blueprint, encouraging uptake of the recent Business Income Tax Credit and Property Tax Abatement for creation of new childcare seats, exploring expanded eligibility for childcare vouchers and the Empire State Child Tax Credit, and clarifying and streamlining city regulations around using second floor and basement spaces for childcare centers.
The remainder of the 40 initiatives can be viewed in the full “‘New’ New York” report.
The implementation of the action plan will be led by the “New” New York Leadership Steering Group, a cross-governmental convening hosted by the first deputy mayor and the director of state operations and led by the deputy mayor for economic and workforce development and the deputy secretary for economic development and workforce. A new, dedicated senior advisor in the Mayor’s Office of Policy and Planning will be hired to staff the steering group and oversee the day-to-day management of implementing the plan. Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul plan to make additional policy announcements informed by these recommendations in the weeks ahead.
“Today’s action plan demonstrates a unified vision for the city from the mayor and governor to reimagine our commercial districts, increase the supply of housing, and support working families,” said First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo. “I commend the 'New' New York panel and its co-chairs, Richard Buery and Daniel Doctoroff, for their creativity and commitment in leading this diverse set of stakeholders to results: 40 initiatives for us to work towards reviving the city.”
“Over centuries and through various crises, we have made decisions that have changed the course of our history, the lives of our people, and the fate of our industries. I'm thrilled that the city and state teams are releasing this action plan today, which will do the same and will build on months of hard work and invaluable insight from the ‘New’ New York panel,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “Now the hard work of implementing this plan begins, and I look forward to working with the broad and growing coalition of partners that this effort has brought together to build a stronger city that works for every New Yorker and that continues to lead the world.”
“With the release of the ‘Making New York Work for Everyone’ action plan, the New York City of tomorrow starts today,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright. “Front and center in this plan is strengthening our economy — but through an equity lens, building on the foundation of the administration’s multibillion-dollar childcare blueprint and breaking down historic barriers that have long prevented economic mobility for Black and Brown communities. I applaud the cross-sector collaboration and bold vision that will transform our city for the better.”
“The pandemic highlighted the social and economic necessity of a creative, expansive, and thoughtful approach to designing and broadening our city’s public spaces,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “As the nature of office work shifts, we need to also reimagine our business districts across the city as public space assets by transforming them into modern, walkable pedestrian-orientated destinations for residents and tourists of all ages.”
“The ‘New’ New York panel outlines a clear vision for bringing the city back from the pandemic stronger than ever, and that includes ensuring all of our neighbors have the housing, supports, and resources they need,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “I applaud former Deputy Mayors Buery and Doctoroff for their continued dedication to our city and look forward to working with everyone as we build a new New York together.”
“The ‘Making New York Work for Everyone’ action plan outlines a new path forward for New York City that reimagines our commercial business districts with more mixed-use buildings and major public realm improvements, making it easier and more affordable for New Yorkers to get around, while spurring equitable economic growth,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “This series of recommendations, led by two former deputy mayors and some of New York’s most innovative thinkers, showcases the untapped potential of not only Midtown but the entire New York City region. I look forward to working with my partners in government and the private sector to bring these recommendations to life and continuing to build a more vibrant and inclusive economy for all New Yorkers.”
“This is a smart, New York City-sized plan, designed to meet our current challenges head-on,” said City Planning Commission Chair and New York City Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. “Together, we can create a city that helps New Yorkers more easily find an affordable home, a good-paying job, and a streamlined commute, and enjoy even better public open space. Let’s get to it.”
“New York City is the greatest city in the world, and we must continue to make investments that ensure this city works for everyone,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “This agency is laser-focused on expanding housing supply to make this city more affordable for New Yorkers, so parents can raise their children here, young people can pursue their dreams, and older New Yorkers can age with dignity.”
“The ‘New’ New York panel’s goals and recommendations have rightly recognized that inclusive, future-focused growth depends on positioning New Yorkers for career success beginning in K-12 and throughout their lives,” said Mayor’s Office for Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal. “Reimagining the New York City Workforce Development Board, embedding student career success objectives and work-based learning opportunities in New York City public schools and City University of New York programs, and expanding opportunities for New Yorkers to earn while acquiring employer-valued credentials are concrete steps we can take to realize a more inclusive economy and prosperity that is truly shared.”
“Businesses thrive where DOT creates welcoming public spaces for pedestrians and cyclists,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “As we continue our pandemic recovery, DOT is committed to repurposing streets to create a healthier, more vibrant city. We thank Mayor Adams for his vision and this incredible partnership with the governor — and we look forward to even more collaborations on these exciting initiatives.”
“New York City’s future is built on innovation,” said New York City Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. “This action plan consists of groundbreaking ideas to reimagine our commercial corridors, facilitate transportation, and ensure our city is future-focused on growth, while supporting entrepreneurship. Our small businesses, and the millions of residents who both work and patronize them, will benefit greatly from this plan.”
“This administration has been clear: The status quo just isn’t going to cut it anymore,” said New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “We’re committed to rethinking collection, exploring containerization, and finally getting the job done on cleanliness, so New York can come back stronger than ever.”
“Art and culture are at the heart of what makes New York such a vibrant, lively place to live, work, and play,” said New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “I’m excited to get to work on the ‘New’ New York panel's far-reaching strategies for investing in and leveraging our cultural assets, so they can contribute to the vitality of our local businesses and neighborhood hubs.”
“It was my distinct privilege to be part of the creative conversations these past six months. Planning and maintaining beautiful, accessible, and inclusive public realm interventions will go a long way in creating vibrant destinations and livable neighborhoods around our business districts,” said New York City Public Design Commission (PDC) Executive Director Sreoshy Banerjea. “The PDC stands ready to help the future public realm director in creating a holistic approach to coordinating a thriving public realm.”
“New York City’s tourism economy contributes hundreds of thousands of jobs, supports businesses in all five boroughs, and showcases New York City as one of the world’s leading destinations for business and leisure travel,” said NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon. “We welcome today’s recommendations by the ‘New’ New York panel and support a comprehensive strategy to ensure continued investment and innovation that supports New York City’s recovery and growth.”
“New York City is the creative capital of the world, supporting more than 500,000 jobs and $150 billion in economic activity within the media and entertainment sectors,” said Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Anne del Castillo. “We look forward to the ‘New’ New York panel, reimagining these commercial districts as vibrant hubs for creativity, innovation, and inclusive growth that will help bolster these vital sectors, which are the heart and soul of our city.”
“Throughout our nation’s history, New York City has consistently and successfully reinvented itself like no other city in the world, and we are primed and ready to do it again,” said State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. “There is no other place with as many unique opportunities as New York City, and I commend Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams for collaborating on this blueprint to move the City and its surrounding regions forward. This plan is about reimagining the city we all love and working together to bring it back better than ever before, with transportation playing a major role in these efforts. How we move people and goods from place to place — safely and efficiently — while creating new opportunities for a better quality of life is at the heart of the vision laid forth by the Governor and the Mayor. This is a roadmap to future prosperity that all New Yorkers can get behind and more importantly a unified vision for a New New York.”
“This collaborative plan expands on the state’s historic investments in childcare OCFS has proudly administered,” said New York State Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Sheila J. Poole. “Working families are strongest when they can rely on the flexibility provided by quality, affordable childcare. We must also do everything we can to support women in the workforce by ensuring greater access to these programs. I am excited to see how the panel’s recommendations further enhance our relentless effort to fulfill that mission.”
“It was an honor to work with talented individuals from diverse fields in the ‘New’ New York panel to develop concrete proposals to reimagine and transform our commercial districts and foster inclusive economic growth, taking careful account of the needs of communities of color, women, and individuals with disabilities,” said Khin Mai Aung, executive director, New York, Generational Citizen. “In particular, as the pandemic has widened economic disparities and wreaked a disproportionate toll on lower income people of color, I hope some of these proposals can play a small part in reducing these disparities, creating new opportunities, and improving the lives of all New Yorkers.”
“I was honored to be asked by Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul to serve on such a broad and diverse cross-section of civic and business leaders on the ‘New’ New York blue-ribbon panel to help advance a city-state agenda for long-term, transformative initiatives to reinvigorate and repurpose our central business districts into vital and safe 24/7 communities where New Yorkers work, commute, and live,” said Fred Cerullo, president and CEO, Grand Central Partnership. “I look forward to working with our partners in government and our neighborhood stakeholders on many of these exciting ideas as we move into the new year.”
“This action plan establishes the big ideas we must immediately implement in response to our new reality — if every present and future New Yorker is to thrive, we must improve our shared quality of life by building a vibrant world-class public realm; we must make our commercial districts more mixed-use through strategic office-to-residential conversion; we must improve commuter time and experience by reducing private vehicle use; and we must strengthen our social infrastructure,” said Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder and creative director, Practice for Architecture and Urbanism. “Time is of the essence—we can and must do this now.”
“As a highly motivated and enthusiastic stakeholder and cheerleader for New York City’s return to its pre-eminent position among world-class cities, the Hotel Association of New York City is thrilled to see the rollout of the mayor’s ‘New’ New York panel initiatives,” said Vijay Dandapani, president and CEO, Hotel Association of New York City. “We are confident that these initiatives will not only bring New York back to the forefront but also take us to new heights.”
“Implementing the panel’s recommendation will help New York maintain its identity as a vanguard of sustainable urbanism,” said Cara Eckholm, chief revenue officer, Nabr; and visiting scholar, Cornell Tech Urban Tech Hub. “As a fourth generation New Yorker who lost a family member to COVID, I am so proud to see the city and state emerge from the pandemic as a united front. Initiatives ranging from an improved bike network to an expanded pilot program for urban technology will bring vibrancy to the city.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for all New Yorkers, shaking the basic foundations of how we live and work in society. Immigrants were at the forefront of the economic survival of our state, doing much of the essential work that keeps New York moving,” said Murad Awawdeh, executive director, New York Immigration Coalition. “Today, the governor and mayor have released an action plan on what’s next for New York’s economy during COVID. Many immigrant and low-income New Yorkers continue to struggle to make ends meet and are still exposed to health hazards in order to do their jobs. We must bring everyone along in New York’s economic recovery and ensure more equitable opportunities moving forward, to build a stronger, more diverse New York together.”
“We are delighted to have been part of the ‘New’ New York panel and commend the joint action plan that has been developed,” said Wayne Ho, president and CEO, Chinese-American Planning Council. “New York City’s Asian American neighborhoods were negatively impacted two months before the state shut down in March 2020 due to COVID, so our city’s economic recovery should be inclusive and equitable. We are supportive of the action plan’s focus on increased childcare, improved transportation, increased housing, and expanded job opportunities for communities of color, women, and people with disabilities.”
“The ‘New’ New York panel recommendations are bold and yet pragmatic in helping commercial districts across the city, in a way that focuses on inclusive recovery,” said Angie Kamath, dean, New York University School of Professional Studies. “Good jobs, good benefits, flexibility, and economic mobility are critical to New York City, communities, and families. The ‘New’ New York panel worked to prioritize near-term work with anchor New York city institutions to create opportunities for years to come.”
“I’d like to thank Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul for convening the ‘New’ New York Panel, as well as our fellow panelists for their tremendous contributions over these past months. An equitable recovery for this city is critical to the future of New York City’s hospitality workers, who have faced some of the hardest challenges these past few years,” said Rick Maroko, president, Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, AFL-CIO. “So many of the ideas generated from this panel will undoubtedly help get our members back to work, and I look forward to seeing those ideas turned into action.”
“The joint action plan offers a tremendous opportunity to bring together public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders to create a better and more equitable New York,” said Melva M. Miller, CEO, Association for a Better New York (ABNY). “Key to the plan will be improving the livability of our central business districts in all five boroughs, thereby creating inclusive opportunities for growth as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. ABNY looks forward to continuing to work with the governor, mayor, and all of the stakeholders to implement the plan.”
“New York cannot rest on its laurels when the competition for remote workers is so steep,” said Jessica Walker, president and CEO, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. “Thankfully, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul understand this. They had the foresight to assemble the best minds to help our city reinvent itself, just as it has done time and time again throughout its great history. Now, we must all pull together to implement the needed changes.”
“This plan advances the cooperative efforts of Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams to embrace a shared vision for our city’s post-pandemic future,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO, Partnership for New York City. “It includes action items that a broad coalition of New Yorkers who participated in the ‘New’ New York panel are prepared to help bring to fruition.”
“Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams are to be commended for their unprecedented partnership in convening this incredible group of leaders — and for the work done to re-envision the future of our city and region,” said Lourdes Zapata, president and CEO, South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. “The emphasis on equitable recovery and proactive and progressive problem solving will ensure that the goals and objectives of this plan, visionary and ambitious, will touch every corner of our city. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that this expansive plan is put into action to ensure the ongoing success of our small businesses, strong support for all members of our community, particularly the BIPOC and otherwise disenfranchised groups, and reimagined city is worthy of future generations and what they deserve.”
