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.