Urban Planning for City Leaders - Cities Alliance

Urban planning for city leadersLong-term goals andshort-term impactPlaNYC, New York City, USANew York, USA © NYC Department of Parks and RecreationIn 2005-2006, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recognized that an integratedstrategic plan for New York City was needed for several key reasons: thepopulation was rising (in contrast with population declines that shapedplanning in the fourth quarter of the twentieth century); the city’s physicalinfrastructure was not being maintained to a standard which would keepup with that rise; and the city needed to respond to climate change. Themayor’s recognition of these points and his leadership was essential to geta number of disparate agencies to work together towards the launch ofPlaNYC in 2007.PlaNYC focused on improving the city’s physical functionality. It establishedspecific long-term goals and short-term milestones in ten areas: housingand neighbourhoods; parks and public spaces; brownfields; waterways;water supply; transport; energy; air quality; solid waste; and climatechange. For each of these, the plan determined the agencies that wereresponsible for implementation, their partners and the funding sources.166