New York Planning Federation

New York Planning Federation
Name	New York Planning Federation
Formation	19XX
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	New York State
Leader title	President

New York Planning Federation The New York Planning Federation is a professional association for planners, policy makers, and practitioners engaged with urban development across New York State. It connects members from municipal offices, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private firms to address land use, transportation, housing, environmental stewardship, and regional coordination. The Federation collaborates with federal agencies, state agencies, and local authorities to shape plans, programs, and regulations affecting metropolitan and rural communities.

History

The organization traces its roots to mid-20th century collaborations among planners linked to Regional Plan Association, American Institute of Planners, New York State Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and municipal planning departments in New York City, Albany, New York, Buffalo, New York, Rochester, New York. Early figures and affiliated entities included scholars from Columbia University, Cornell University, Syracuse University, and practitioners associated with Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York City Department of City Planning, and civic groups like Municipal Art Society of New York and Citizens Housing and Planning Council. The Federation engaged with milestones such as the development of the Interstate Highway Act, debates over Robert Moses projects, dialogues following the publication of the Regional Plan of New York and Its Environs, and responses to crises including the 1970s fiscal crisis in New York City. Over decades the Federation convened conferences referencing work by planners connected to Jane Jacobs, Lewis Mumford, Daniel Burnham, and policy initiatives involving Urban Land Institute, National Trust for Historic Preservation, American Planning Association, and statewide commissions.

Mission and Objectives

The Federation's mission emphasizes integrated planning practices informed by case studies from New York City Housing Authority, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, New York State Department of Health, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, The Nature Conservancy in New York, and regional entities like Capital District Transportation Authority and Nassau County Planning Commission. Objectives include advancing best practices drawn from projects such as the High Line, Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project, East Side Access, and preservation efforts around Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty National Monument, and the Harlem River Waterfront. The Federation aims to coordinate among institutions including NYC Economic Development Corporation, New York Power Authority, New York State Thruway Authority, and philanthropic supporters like Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation.

Organizational Structure

Governance models reflect boards with representation from municipal planners from City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning, county planners from Westchester County Department of Planning, academic representatives from Hunter College, State University of New York (SUNY) Albany, and private sector members from firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, HOK (firm), and Arup Group. Committees parallel those in organizations like American Planning Association with standing groups for transportation linked to Metropolitan Transportation Authority, housing committees liaising with New York City Housing Development Corporation, and environmental committees coordinating with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York Botanical Garden. Leadership roles often echo titles used by Mayors of New York City, Governors of New York, and regional authorities such as Metropolitan Transportation Authority executives.

Programs and Activities

Programs include annual conferences with presenters from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, and workshops featuring case studies like Battery Park City Authority redevelopment, South Bronx revitalization, Buffalo Olmsted Park System restoration, and storm resilience projects tied to Hurricane Sandy (2012). The Federation runs technical assistance initiatives similar to those by Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and hosts policy roundtables involving New York State Senate, New York State Assembly, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and regional transit operators. Educational offerings partner with Pace University, Fordham University, and continuing education providers aligned with American Institute of Certified Planners certification pathways.

Membership and Chapters

Membership spans public sector planners from New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, county planning offices in Erie County, New York, Monroe County, New York, municipal officials from Yonkers, New York, Schenectady, New York, consultants from firms like Perkins Eastman, community development organizations such as Local Initiatives Support Corporation New York, and nonprofit partners like Enterprise Community Partners and Housing Partnership Development Corporation. Chapters reflect geographic divisions seen in organizations including American Planning Association New York Upstate chapter, APA New York Metro Chapter, and student chapters at Columbia University, Cornell University, University at Buffalo, and SUNY Buffalo State College.

Policy Influence and Advocacy

The Federation engages in advocacy resembling interventions by Rebuild by Design, NYC Mayor's Office of Recovery and Resiliency, New York State Department of Transportation, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority policy processes. It provides testimony before bodies such as the New York State Senate Committee on Transportation, the New York City Council, and federal hearings involving United States Congress subcommittees. The Federation has weighed in on legislation like state-level zoning reforms and housing acts, participated in stakeholder coalitions with Habitat for Humanity New York City, Enterprise Community Partners, and contributed to regional plans with Regional Plan Association and resilience strategies coordinated with Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Awards and Publications

The Federation issues awards modeled after recognitions by American Planning Association and New York State Historic Preservation Office for projects including adaptive reuse of sites like Chelsea Market, affordable housing exemplars from NYCHA redevelopment initiatives, and green infrastructure projects informed by work at Cornell Cooperative Extension and New York Botanical Garden. Its publications include technical reports, monographs, and policy briefs with contributors from Columbia University, Cornell University, Syracuse University, Pratt Institute, Hunter College, and practice notes drawing on examples from Hudson River Park Trust, Battery Park City Authority, and regional planning studies used by Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Category:Professional planning organizations in the United States