Venue: Room 642, 20 Bedford Way, UCL Institute of Education
Guest Speaker: Edith Hsu-Chen
Edith Hsu-Chen, the Executive Director of the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP), will speak about City of Yes; the changes it introduced to enable housing production; how the public engagement and political process played out; and what the expansion of choice means to individuals and families who are more accustomed to facing challenges. The project was not without skeptics or opponents. She will speak to how the DCP addressed concerns throughout the public review process, how DCP analyzed the impact of housing growth on critical city services such as schools, and how housing stability is inextricably connected to educational attainment.
About Edith Hsu-Chen
Edith Hsu-Chen is the Executive Director of the Department of City Planning (DCP) for the City of New York. She leads the agency that is responsible for implementing the city’s planning and development agenda, and for promoting equitable and inclusive growth throughout the five boroughs.
As Executive Director, Ms. Hsu-Chen has been instrumental in delivering historic regulatory change through City of Yes, a three-part overhaul of the zoning code to help achieve carbon neutrality, economic expansion, and housing production. Prior to her current role, Ms. Hsu-Chen served as the Planning Director for the Borough of Manhattan.
Like many fellow New Yorkers, Edith is an immigrant. She started her career at DCP as an intern during graduate studies and has since served in four mayoral administrations. She has a master’s degree in Urban Planning from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in Design of the Environment from the University of Pennsylvania.
Background
For decades, NYC has not built enough housing because of overly restrictive zoning rules. Meanwhile, the housing that has been built is concentrated in just a few areas. As a result, there are not enough homes for New Yorkers, many neighborhoods are closed off to new homes and residents, and the cost of housing keeps rising. Half of New Yorkers pay a third of their income on rent. Worse, more than one third of New Yorkers spend at least half their income on rent. In 2024, the housing availability rate in New York was a paltry 1.4%. The severe housing shortage has real consequences: rent burden, building disrepair, displacement, family separation, gentrification, and homelessness.
City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is a big step that tackles New York City’s housing shortage. It confronts the housing crisis by making possible to build a little more housing in every neighborhood. By allowing a little more housing in every neighborhood, we will create a lot of housing overall without overburdening any one area. Despite this seemingly modest approach, City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the most ambitious change to the City zoning code since its inception in 1961. These updated zoning rules are expected to enable more than 82,000 new homes. They will provide New Yorkers more housing choice and help bring housing costs down.
The plan, proposed by the NYC Department of City Planning and later approved with modifications by the City Council in December 2024, strikes a balance to address concerns about infrastructure, community services including schools, and context while enabling new homes across the city. It is the single most pro-housing zoning plan in New York City history.
82,000 homes is more than a number. A stable, affordable home is life-changing, and New Yorkers will feel the difference: working people struggling to pay rent will have more options and leverage; growing families will have more room; homeownership will be within reach again. And in alignment with other pro-housing efforts in the public and private sectors, City of Yes aims to ensure that people will have more housing options in all neighbourhoods.