Aligning Development Plans for the Bronx, New York

Learn about how Charles Norton's vision is being brought together through a comprehensive planning process involving many organizations & companies & how it is aligned with UN SDGs & NYC's OneNYC 2050.

Aligning Development Plans for the Bronx, New York

Through a comprehensive planning process that involves many organizations, companies, and dedicated community members, the study will bring together these plans and the vision of Charles Norton. Norton found an ally in George McAneny, president of the New York City Council Board of Councilors, predecessor of the current City Council and former Manhattan Borough President. This effort is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and New York City's long-term strategic plan, OneNYC 2050. Robert Moses, who was not only a critic of the Regional Plan Association (RPA), also focused on municipal urban planning resources, which members of the New York City Planning Commission asked the RPA to protect.

The same year, the RPA published Building Rail Transit Projects Better for Less, an extensive study in which it was highlighted that the extraordinarily high costs associated with large transportation projects in the city were due to many factors and causes at every stage of the project's implementation, from the decisions taken by political leaders at the beginning of the projects to the final stages of the lengthy planning, design and construction processes. In the 1960s, the RPA received a new impetus as it worked on this and other reports and began to lay the foundations for what would become the Second Regional Plan. The alliance, which represents a representative sample of New York and its region, helped the civic community to play a crucial role in the reconstruction process, organized forums called “Listening to the City” attended by thousands of people, and worked closely with officials to develop development principles and ideas for projects. The RPA approved the construction of public housing projects being carried out by federal government and local agencies, and noted that by 1941, 31 new public housing projects had been built or were in progress in New York City.

The Third Regional Plan was a major milestone in urban planning for New York City. It was developed by a coalition of organizations led by Charles Norton and George McAneny. This plan was designed to bring together various plans from different organizations and create a unified vision for development in New York City. It also sought to address issues such as infrastructure investment, equitable adaptation, accessory housing units (ADU), and regional cooperation between states.

The plan was also in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and New York City's long-term strategic plan, OneNYC 2050. The Third Regional Plan proposed a regional pact between the three governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to coordinate policies and investments and reduce the “border war” that used expensive tax subsidies to attract companies from one state to another. Amtrak partnered with Empire State Development Corporation of New York and its subsidiary Moynihan Station Development Corporation to begin construction on a new Moynihan train hall in Farley Building. Two years later in 1921, Russell Sage Foundation agreed to support creation of a plan for New York and authorized Plan Committee for New York and surrounding areas to appoint Norton as president.

The Topeka Plaindealer, a Kansas newspaper founded by African Americans commented in 1931 that RPA had predicted Harlem would be a business center for next 25 years and had outlined general plan for development of Harlem. RPA would later partner with Make Road New York on series of projects related to equitable adaptation and accessory housing units (ADU). The Third Regional Plan was instrumental in ushering in an era of investment in new infrastructure and development projects after decades of disinvestment. Keith to Richard Anderson, who went from junior planner in 1964 to president in 1989, was also the first president of the American Planning Association.

This plan has been instrumental in helping shape development plans for Bronx, New York over the years. The Third Regional Plan has been successful in bringing together various plans from different organizations into one unified vision for development in Bronx, New York. It has also helped reduce border wars between states by coordinating policies and investments between them. The plan has been instrumental in helping shape development plans for Bronx over the years while also being aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and New York City's long-term strategic plan, OneNYC 2050.

Shirley Stmichel
Shirley Stmichel

Hardcore coffee ninja. Subtly charming food practitioner. Freelance beer junkie. Hardcore beer lover. Incurable travel aficionado. Hardcore sushi lover.