NYC Zoning Handbook:
Preface
The Zoning Handbook is dedicated to the memory of Julius Spector, who
made zoning understandable to all the planners, professionals and
novices he so ably guided during his 32 years with the Department of
City Planning.
Preface
New York is big, diverse and complex. The Zoning Resolution reflects the
city's diversity and, of necessity, its complexity. However, zoning
should be intelligible not only to specialists and experts but to all
New Yorkers.
This handbook is a guide to the development and preservation regulations
enacted by the City Planning Commission and the Board of Estimate. Under
the new City Charter enacted in November 1989, the Board of Estimate has
been eliminated and many of its functions have been assumed by the City
Council. This edition of the handbook reflects the new legislative and
administrative procedures pertaining to land use that took effect on
July 1, 1990.
The purpose of this handbook is to make zoning more accessible -- to
help New Yorkers understand basic concepts and how to apply them. It
should aid both the novice and the professional, but it should not be
used as a substitute for the Zoning Resolution itself. When in doubt,
consult the Zoning Resolution or the Department of Buildings.
Above all, the handbook is intended to help citizens participate fully
in the planning process.