Zoning at 100

New York City celebrates a century of zoning in 2016. A conference on New York City's new zoning law was held where East Harlem was identified as one of the areas of the city for potential rezoning as part of MIH and ZQA, East Harlem's city council representative, and the speaker of the council. The plan embraces rezoning with the recommendation of preserving the existing character of mid-blocks and concentrate upzoned areas to the wider avenues. The most immediate changes to the zoning odes have to do with fixing outdated regulations that have led to a host of urban design problems. ZQO (Zoning for Quality) gives architects and developers the needed flexibility to design the building envelope for outer courts, bay windows and other architectural features that were difficult. The city's Economic Development Corporation issued an RFP in 2016 that will benefit from a rezoning and a new set of design guidelines that encourages a much greater mix of uses.