Architect Proposes Alternative To Address NYC Housing Shortage

Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder of NYC-based Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) said in a New York Times opinion piece in December 2023 that PAU has prepared an analysis showing that roughly 520,245 new homes housing up to 1.3 million residents could be created on approximately 1,700 acres of unused city land in NYC, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat reports. Described by Chakrabarti as “a feasible alternative to the costly and often impractical conversion of office buildings constructed before 1980,” the proposal involves building low- to high-rise structures above existing single-story commercial spaces. Current NYC housing demand exceeds 500,000 units, and Mayor Eric Adams is encouraging office-to-residential conversions through his Office Conversion Accelerator program. Chakrabarti acknowledges roadblocks to his proposal — including zoning issues and opposition to development — but “urges against the misconception that the city has run of space or that construction would compromise its character.”