Housing and City Planning Officials Talk Mayor’s Rezoning Plan

Mayor de Blasio is proposing a rezoning plan that would affect 15 New York City neighborhoods, mandate below-market-rate units in exchange for the approval of more dense buildings and change the city's zoning to ease residential development.

Vicki Been, commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and Carl Weisbrod, Director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chairman of the New York City Planning Commission, discuss the details of the mayor's rezoning plan.

Weisbrod says almost every community board has "embraced the concept" of mandatory inclusionary zoning.

But it's been difficult to get everyone on board because this is a multi-prong plan that's big, complex, and happening all at once, explains Been.

→ In his words: hear what Mayor Bill de Blasio had to say about his rezoning plan when he appeared on the Brian Lehrer Show on December 4th, 2015. (You might want to skip ahead to about 17:36, starting with a gentrification/rezoning question from "Cassius in Bed-Stuy".)

Now: Commissioners Vicki Been (@NYCHousing) + Carl Weisbrod (@NYCPlanning) discussing @BilldeBlasio rezoning plan. pic.twitter.com/sAqCOvWlBY

— Brian Lehrer Show (@BrianLehrer) December 15, 2015

@BrianLehrer Love this caller: "If you need a subsidy & a voucher, it's not affordable to you!" #affordablehousing

— Annie Gross (@GreasepaintAnni) December 15, 2015

@thecitywanderer @BrianLehrer But the Vespa!

— Sally Goldenberg (@SallyGold) December 15, 2015