The Other 41: Mid-Rise Housing for a High-Rise City

Of the 51 council districts in New York, ten districts are home to the majority of the city’s affordable housing and new market-rate housing, and these districts are disproportionately neighborhoods of color. Zoning reforms proposed as a part of the City of Yes housing initiative aim to unlock moderate density across all neighborhoods, most of which have had little new development in recent years. This wave of density will not only change the urban fabric, but will result in smaller, more mid-rise buildings that are atypical of the city’s existing affordable and market-rate housing. 

What will it mean to design and develop mid-rise housing in our neighborhoods? What will it look like, what will it cost? Who is working on this issue, and what are the challenges and opportunities for architects and advocates alike? 

Panelists will highlight projects across the city, and from other cities that have dealt with the challenges of small-scale housing for decades. We'll also discuss The State of Housing Design 2023, a new book from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies that features housing designs, trends, and ideas from around the county, including several New York City projects.

Speakers:
Sam Naylor, Associate, Utile, Co-editor of The State of Housing Design 2023
Brian Loughlin, Principal, MAP, AIANY Housing Co-chair
Stephen Zacks, President, Amplifier, Contributor to The State of Housing Design 2023
Juan Barahona, Founder, SMJ Development

Download slides (pdf)