ULURP in New York City (Rezoning)

ULURP or ELURP

Zoning map amendments, City Planning Commission special permits, and several other land use actions go through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) under City Charter Section 197-c. Voters approved three changes in November 2025 that created faster options for certain projects:

• ELURP (Expedited Land Use Review Procedure): for modest housing rezonings, such as a residential density increase of 30 percent or less in higher density districts, and certain low density map changes. The City Council does not vote. Projects that need a full Environmental Impact Statement do not qualify.
• Fast track for low-producing districts: rezonings with Mandatory Inclusionary Housing in the 12 community districts with the least affordable housing production follow a similar expedited review, with the City Planning Commission making the final decision.
• Affordable Housing Appeals Board: if the City Council rejects or modifies an affordable housing application, the applicant can ask a board made up of the Mayor, the Council Speaker, and the borough president to reverse the decision.

Pre-certification: the same for ULURP and ELURP

Every private rezoning starts with pre-certification review at the Department of City Planning, and this stage works the same way whether the application ends up in ULURP or ELURP. It includes an Informational Interest Meeting (IIM), a Pre-Application Statement (PAS), environmental review, and several rounds of comments on the draft application. This is where the proposed district, the rezoning boundary, and the Reasonable Worst Case Development Scenario for the environmental review are settled.

Pre-certification has no fixed deadline. Its length depends on DCP's workload, the complexity of the proposal, and how quickly the applicant team responds to comments. A clear land use rationale (why this district, why this boundary, and how the proposal fits nearby rezonings and transit) keeps it moving.

Public review: where ELURP saves time

The real difference between ULURP and ELURP is the public review that starts once DCP certifies the application as complete.

The ULURP clock

• Community board: 60 days to hold a hearing and issue a recommendation.
• Borough president: 30 days.
• City Planning Commission: 60 days to hold a hearing and vote.
• City Council: 50 days to hold a hearing and vote, which can be extended by modifications.
• Mayor: 5 days to veto, which the Council can override within 10 days.
• Total: roughly seven months from certification to final approval.

The ELURP clock

• Community board and borough president: 60 days, running at the same time.
• City Planning Commission: 30 days to hold a hearing and make the final decision.
• No City Council vote and no mayoral review.
• Total: roughly three months from certification to final approval.

Mandatory Inclusionary Housing

Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) is a requirement of any residential rezoning in the city to a medium density or higher district. When MIH is mapped, a share of the new homes must be permanently affordable, under one of several options that set the percentage of affordable units and the income levels they serve. The choice of option affects project economics, so it is part of the rezoning strategy from the start.

What we handle

• Feasibility analysis and district selection before any money is spent on consultants.
• IIM presentations, the PAS, and the land use application.
• Assembling and managing the planner, architect, and environmental consultant team.
• Outreach to the community board, borough president, and Council member.
• Testimony at every public hearing and negotiation of any modifications.