One of the core missions of the Department of City Planning (NYC Planning) is to ensure that all land use and environmental applications for changes to zoning regulations, the City Map, siting of public facilities, and grants of site-specific actions are complete before they are reviewed by the public, the Chair of the City Planning Commission or the Commission as a whole. This way, the City Planning Commission and the public can make informed decisions about each project that goes through public review.
Who can apply through City Planning?
Anyone can apply for a zoning map change, zoning text amendment, or a City Map change. Only New York City agencies may apply to the NYC Planning and Commission for the siting of public facilities. Applicants for zoning map and text changes are often the NYC Planning, local Community Boards, or private developers.
If a development is as-of-right, meaning that a proposed development complies with the Zoning Resolution and qualifies for a building permit without the Department of City Planning's review, contact the Department of Buildings instead.
What is the application process like?
NYC Planning will work with you to ensure that your application is complete and ready to begin the City's formal public review of an application, known as the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure or ULURP.
The time between an applicant's first contact with NYC Planning to the start of ULURP is known as the pre-certification process. The pre-certification process involves two parallel reviews:
- A land use review of the application to ensure that the application is complete and technically accurate
- An environmental review meant to disclose and analyze potential impacts that the development proposal may trigger
Once these two concurrent reviews are complete, the application can begin public review.
Application Instructions
For tools and information on land use and zoning regulations:
- ZoLa: An intuitive map interface of NYC's zoning and land use regulations
- Zoning Resolution: Official online text of NYC's land use and development
- Zoning Districts Guide: City Planning's simplified version of zoning rules
- Zoning Help Desk: Submit your specific questions for our zoning specialists
- Other Zoning Resources
Create your account or log into the Applicant Portal: NYC Planning Applicants Clicking "Initiate New Project" will prompt you to fill out basic project information.
Resources for general application requirements:
- Application Types: Non-ULURP & ULURP actions reviewed by City Planning
- Application Checklist: Components required for each type of action
- Informational Interest Meeting Checklist: Initial requirements for all project submissions (required for Informational Interest Meeting)
- Project Initiation Form One Pager
Once your project is set up in the Applicant Portal, the appropriate NYC Planning team member will contact you to schedule an introductory phone call or meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss your site and your proposed development. At the meeting, NYC Planning professionals will explain the pre-certification process and ULURP and advise you about the key next steps. It is here where you should indicate if you believe your project may be eligible for special processes.
Only one meeting is needed before NYC Planning will ask the applicant to move to the next stage in the process. For some types of simple projects, a meeting or phone call is not required.
After NYC Planning provides preliminary guidance and feedback at an informational meeting, you may submit a Pre-Application Statement (PAS). The PAS is not designed to assess the merits of the proposal, but it helps us to:
- Advise applicants early in the process about their project and to better serve applicants throughout the review process.
- Provide the information necessary to assign appropriate staff at the beginning of the review process and coordinate review across multiple divisions.
- Assign a Lead Planner who will be the main contact for you throughout the review process.
Resources for the PAS stage:
- Sample Pre-Application Statement Form: Form with pertinent information about a project
- Pre-Application Statement Guide: An example and guide for the PAS form
- Pre-Application Exceptions: Types of applications that do not need to file the PAS (unless actions are coupled with any other application type)
The Lead Planner of your project will contact you to confirm receipt of your PAS and schedule an Interdivisional (ID) Meeting. In the Interdivisional Meeting, your assigned team will:
- Help you understand what actions are needed
- Guide you in preparing application materials
- Ensure everything is complete
If a project is complex, you may need more than one meeting to finalize the necessary actions. After the meeting, you'll get a summary of the discussion, decisions made, and the next steps for your application.
Once actions are finalized, at or soon after the ID Meeting, you will receive guidance from your Lead Planner on the next steps for environmental review.
Reasonable Worse Case Development Scenario (RWCDS)
Some projects may require the formulation of an analytical framework for environmental review, also known as a Reasonable Worst Case Development Scenario (RWCDS) memo.
If RWCDS is required for your application, you will receive access to the RWCDS package in the Applicant Portal to complete and resubmit. Once NYC Planning has agreed to the assumptions, the RWCDS memo will be signed off and the application can move onto the next step.
Items required for the RWCDS stage:
- RWCDS Analysis Framework Table: Table to describe existing and proposed conditions
- RWCDS Analysis Spreadsheet: Table to describe site specific conditions
Restrictive Declarations, Notice of Restrictions (NOR), and Notice of Certifications (NOC)
Specific projects might require boilerplate legal documents. The following boilerplate legal documents may be downloaded and modified to apply to a particular application. Instructions included within each document explain how the boilerplate forms may be used and the requirements for submission directly to the Counsel's Office. The current set of boilerplate legal documents is not comprehensive. Additional documents will be added in the future.
Please understand the Recordation Requirements for Restrictive Declarations, Notices of Restrictions, and Notices of Certification.
Prior to executing or recording one of the following legal instruments, read the instructions at the bottom of this page, AND carefully review the "Common Errors To Avoid", which can be printed out and used as a checklist.
Notice of Restrictions (NOR):
- NOR for Hillsides, Natural Area (Bronx and Staten Island) and South Richmond Special Districts and Designated Open Spaces
- Amended and Restated NOR for Hillsides, Natural Area (Bronx and State Island) and South Richmond Special Districts
Notice of Certifications (NOC):
Please be advised that the Department of City Planning reserves the right to modify the provisions of its boilerplate as it deems necessary and may provide a more current version at any time. These provisions are not negotiable. The City of New York will not accept any alteration, deletion, or modification that reduces or otherwise changes the obligations of the Owner/Declarant or the rights of the City of New York.
Using NYC Planning guidance from the ID meeting, prepare and submit a draft land use application. Applications should be submitted through the Applicant Portal.
NYC Planning will review a draft land use application only once per project and provide feedback in a comment letter or, as necessary, or by scheduling a working meeting with you. Following first draft review and revisions, you will be guided to file the application.
Racial Equity Report:
Beginning June 1, 2022, certain applicants taking part in New York City’s land-use review process must complete a Racial
Equity Report on Housing and Opportunity (“RER”) pursuant to Local Law 78 of 2021 (“the law”). The RER is intended to add
additional context not found in the land use application to facilitate public conversation about neighborhood change. The
RER will draw on data included in the
Equitable Development Data Explorer
and include a narrative statement of how the project relates to the City’s goals to affirmatively further fair housing and
promote equitable access to opportunity.
Like all official submissions, Applicants must submit these reports through guidance to aid in determining applicability of the new legislation to specific projects.
Resources for land use:
- Portal: Land Use Application Form
- Guidance on Submitting Attachments in the Applicant Portal
- Application Checklist: Components required for each type of action
- Applicant Maps: A tool to create required maps for land use applications
- ZAP Search: Search for a specific project and its public application documents
- Doing Business with the City Form: A form required by all application packages except for specific types listed below*
- Doing Business with the City FAQ: A document to assist with completing this form
*The Doing Business with the City Form is not required for applicants who are:
- Homeowner applicants with actions concerning one, two, or three family dwellings.
- Not for profit neighborhood, community or similar association applicants
- City agency applicants without a private co-applicant
The environmental review process is otherwise known as City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR). At the ID Meeting and RWCDS stage, the Environmental Assessment and Review Division (EARD) at NYC Planning will advise you on the type of environmental review and materials needed to complete and submit in the Applicant Portal.
Resources for the environmental review:
- CEQR Forms: A page containing the most current forms used in the CEQR Process
- CEQR Technical Manual: A page that breaks down CEQR chapters and appendices
- ZAP Search: Search for a specific project and find its Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and scoping documents under the project page's "Public Documents"
- CEQR Data Hub: Download and find necessary data, analytic workbooks, shapefiles, and reports to conduct environmental review.
The Department of City Planning accepts fee payments through the online Applicant Portal. After submitting your filed land use or environmental review application, you will receive an invoice, based on your submitted information. The Applicant Portal will provide the option of paying via:
- e-Check (no processing fee, no limit)
- Credit Card (2% processing fee, $99,999.99 limit per transaction)
- PayPal (2% processing fee, $59,999.99 limit per transaction)
- Venmo (2% processing fee, $59,999.99 limit per transaction)
The New York City Charter requires certain actions that are reviewed by the City Planning Commission to undergo a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). ULURP is a standardized procedure whereby applications affecting the land use of the city would be publicly reviewed.
Key participants in public review are NYC Planning, the City Planning Commission, Community Boards, the Borough Presidents, the Borough Boards, the City Council, and the Mayor.
Resources for public review:
- Public Review Process: Read more about the public review process
- ULURP Chart: An image depicting the ULURP timeline and involved groups
- ZAP Search: Search for a specific project and find its Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and scoping documents under the project page's “Public Documents”
Section 197-c, subsection a of the City Charter makes the following actions subject to ULURP:
- Changes to the City Map
- Designations or change of zoning districts
- Special permits within the Zoning Resolution requiring approval of the City Planning Commission
- Site selection for capital projects
- Revocable consents, requests for proposals and other solicitations or franchises, and major concessions
- Improvements in real property the costs of which are payable other than by the City
- Housing and urban renewal plans and project pursuant to city, state and federal laws
- Sanitary or waterfront landfills
- Disposition of city owned property
- Acquisition of real property by the city
Learn more about Rules for the Definition of Major Concessions .