Department of City Planning Releases Principles of Good Urban Design Guidebook

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For Immediate Release

March 4, 2024

Contacts:

Casey Berkovitz, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471

Department of City Planning Releases Principles of Good Urban Design Guidebook

Guidebook Democratizes Urban Design, Helps New Yorkers Incorporate Principles into Neighborhood Advocacy

New Principles Revamp and Expand 2017 Guidelines into Practical, Accessible Guide

NEW YORK – New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today announced the release of the Principles of Good Urban Design, an illustrated guidebook that makes New York City’s urban design principles clear and accessible to the public. With the release of the guidebook, New Yorkers from all walks of life will be better able to put the Principles of Good Urban Design into action in their own communities, whether they’re planners, developers, civic leaders, or any New Yorker who wants to help shape the future of their neighborhood.

“New Yorkers know their neighborhoods better than anyone and it’s vital that we supply them with the planning tools to advocate for their priorities. With these Principles of Good Urban Design, we’re providing the public with a roadmap to improve the way our city looks and feels. Through these resources, we can all work together to get to yes on a more dynamic, greener, and more welcoming city,” said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick.

“Every New Yorker deserves to engage in the decisions and processes that impact the design and livability of their neighborhood,” said New York City Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “I'm thrilled to see NYC Planning release these Principles, as they will serve as an important tool to help democratize the language of urban design, ultimately allowing more voices to shape our city's future.”

“New York City’s well-designed and welcoming public spaces are part of what make the city so special,” said New York City Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “The Principles of Good Urban Design showcase our shared values in designing and delivering high quality public spaces in a timely manner for all New Yorkers. We applaud Department of City Planning and all our agencies for their effort in moving this vision forward.”

“As New York City continues to execute complex coastal infrastructure and other climate projects while building in play, community, and open space access, this guidebook will be a critical tool,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “Most important, it can be used by community leaders to advocate for air, noise, and extreme heat mitigation, which is especially important for those disproportionately burdened by climate hazards.”

“I congratulate the Department of City Planning on the launch of the Principles of Good Urban Design Guidebook. By centering communities and embracing their diverse perspectives in urban planning we can ensure their needs and aspirations shape the spaces designed for them. This process of co-designing is critical for trust between communities and government,” said Dr. Sarah Sayeed, Chair and Executive Director, New York City Civic Engagement Commission.

“The Principles of Good Urban Design guidebook should help New Yorkers for generations to come,” said New York City Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley. “As the City’s chief design and construction manager, it is our priority to deliver the best-in-class public works that enhance communities, and we know the importance of working with and taking into consideration the needs and opinions of our City’s vibrant and diverse communities. This guidebook will be an important resource to better create urban design and we thank DCP for this in-depth tool.”

“Community involvement is foundational to building strong and vibrant neighborhoods and every New Yorker must have the opportunity to participate in shaping the future of our city,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Adolfo Carrión Jr. “The Principles of Good Urban Design will serve as a powerful tool driving inclusive development that's greener, more accessible, and safe, while celebrating the city's history, culture, and identity.”

“It is essential that New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs have the right tools to help shape their neighborhoods,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “Principles of Good Urban Design will give New Yorkers the resources to help addresses the near-term challenges in front of us while also continuing to build a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers.”

“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the presence of green and open spaces becomes increasingly crucial. And as the City grapples with the impacts of climate change and severe weather, design practices must also emphasize sustainability to improve the lives of New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “This guidebook highlights all of these principles and empowers New Yorkers with practical tools to help shape a greener, more resilient, and more equitable city for all.”

“Fostering a sense of belonging in our diverse neighborhoods is of utmost importance. The Urban Design Office, through the release of its Principles of Good Urban Design, and creation of an innovative public engagement platform, has led our city by example - demonstrating how centering the voices and values of New Yorkers in our city's design and planning processes can produce enduring civic spaces that serve generations to come,” said Sreoshy Banerjea, Executive Director of the New York City Public Design Commission.

New York State Empire State Development President CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The public realm is the vibrant backdrop of our daily lives as New Yorkers. The Principles of Good Urban Design outlined in this guidebook provide both inspired vision and practical wisdom for enhancing our shared spaces over time. Whether applied to long-term planning or short-term projects, these principles can help make the public realm more equitable, resilient, and beautiful for all.”

This guidebook provides answers on what urban design means, and how planners consider everything from public input to environmental needs to a neighborhood’s history and culture to craft design recommendations that enhance communities. Beyond making it easier to get around and enjoy New York City, good urban design has a tremendously positive impact on our physical and mental health. It makes for a more beautiful and cleaner urban environment, generates economic activity, supports innovation, and encourages play.

The Principles of Good Urban Design help to democratize this aspect of planning with a set of shared values and language through which all New Yorkers can evaluate, discuss, and advocate for meaningful, lasting changes that improve the city’s urban landscape. The four principles are:

Enhance people’s daily lives – including with accessible, safe, high-quality public spaces

Care for a neighborhood’s history, culture, and identity – including by celebrating existing community spaces or natural resources

Embrace NYC’s dynamism – including with building designs that harmonize with older architecture

Confront society’s greatest challenges – including with resilient and public health-focused design decisions

Each of these principles can have an impact on parts of the city that New Yorkers experience in their daily lives: how space is used on a sidewalk, how parks and open space are laid out, how storefronts and ground floors of apartments interact with the public realm, and how architecture helps to determine the character of a neighborhood.

This release of the Principles of Good Urban Design guidebook is a significant expansion of the initial guidelines, published in 2017. In this guidebook, DCP has fully transformed the principles into a thorough, practical manual that can be applied to nearly any planning discussion in the five boroughs.

“AIANY is thrilled to host the NYC Department of City Planning’s Office of Urban Design for the launch of the Principles of Good Urban Design and Guidebook,” said Gregory Switzer, 2024 President, American Institute of Architects New York (AIANY). “Clear, thoughtful urban design is critical to advancing equity, affordability, and sustainability. The Principles provide a toolkit for advocating for good design citywide that improves our public realm, upholds the identity of neighborhoods, drives innovation, and creates climate resilient buildings.”

“New York City’s diverse population is ever-changing,” said Howard Slatkin, Executive Director of Citizens Housing and Planning Council. “And the design of our city must continue to evolve along with it. In a city of 8.5 million residents and twice that many opinions, resources like this guidebook can provide a great public service by grounding our conversations and debates in a shared language that we can use to improve public design for our common benefit.”

“Equitable city planning that centers access to shared spaces creates thriving neighborhoods,” said Matthew Clarke, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space. “NYC Planning's Principles of Good Urban Design will be an important tool for empowering all New Yorkers' participation in decisions about where we live and how community design can improve our collective health and wellbeing.”

“Good urban design is a critical component of city planning. MAS applauds the NYC Department of City Planning’s Urban Design Office for developing these defining principles. The fact that the principles were developed in conjunction with community members, city agencies, and design professions will ensure they will assist us in achieving our shared goals of a more livable city,” said Elizabeth Goldstein, President, Municipal Art Society of New York.

“When New York is inclusive, there’s nowhere quite like it. I’m grateful that the Department of City Planning cares deeply about our city’s history and culture, its rhythms and openness. Let’s hope every new development project embraces the Principles of Good Urban Design,” said Daniel McPhee, Executive Director of the Urban Design Forum.

Urban design plays an important role in many of the agency’s initiatives. For example, in DCP’s City of Yes for Economic Opportunity proposal, urban design is key to streetscape updates that provide more flexibility in some areas struggling to reach transparency goals and provide more predictability in other areas to ensure safe and active commercial corridors. And in City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, which looks to create a little more housing in every neighborhood, urban design will ensure the thoughtful crafting of building envelopes that respond to their surroundings.

The Principles of Good Urban Design guidebook is the result of input from New Yorkers via an interactive website launched in 2021. Much of the feedback DCP received reflected not only current urban design successes but also the challenges of a city recovering from the worst effects of the pandemic on public life. With the pandemic’s impact still felt today, it’s more important than ever to help New Yorkers get involved in shaping the building blocks of the city we share, as we collectively rethink how we use our public streets, sidewalks, and open spaces.

Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.