NYC Zoning Changes 2026
City of Yes implementation, ULURP pipeline, and what the 2026 zoning landscape means for development.
At a glance
City of Yes overview
City of Yes is a three-part citywide zoning overhaul:
- City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality (passed Dec 2023) — clears regulatory barriers for retrofits, EV charging, and rooftop solar.
- City of Yes for Economic Opportunity (passed June 2024) — modernizes commercial zoning, expands what can locate where.
- City of Yes for Housing Opportunity (passed Dec 2024) — citywide changes targeting roughly 80,000 new homes through ADUs, transit-oriented development, parking reform, and town-center upzoning.
ULURP pipeline
The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) is the formal seven-month review process for site-specific rezonings, special permits, and variances. Recent major neighborhood rezonings (Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, Bronx Metro-North, Long Island City Neighborhood Plan) have now been adopted; the 2026 pipeline is dominated by site-specific rezonings, special permits, and variances.
M1-to-mixed-use conversions
Several ongoing studies look at converting underutilized M1 (manufacturing) districts to mixed-use. The most active are in Brooklyn (Gowanus follow-on study), Queens (LIC), and the Bronx (Hunts Point edges).
Implications for FAR and air rights
Citywide zoning changes have altered the calculus on unused FAR ("air rights") in several districts. Town-center upzoning under City of Yes raised baseline FAR in low-density transit-served areas, expanding development potential on lots that previously had little.
Key takeaways
- City of Yes for Housing is the most consequential zoning change since 1961.
- Town-center upzoning raised baseline FAR in transit-served low-density neighborhoods.
- M1-to-mixed-use conversion remains an active pipeline — track ULURP filings.
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