New York's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure: Past, Present, and Future

The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) was added to the New York City Charter in 1975 to provide a single process for the review and approval of significant land use actions, including zoning map amendments, changes in the city map, City Planning Commission special permits, site selection for capital projects, urban renewal plans, disposition of City-owned property, and the acquisition of real property by the City. The ULURP sets forth a time frame and other requirements for advisory review by the Community Boards and Borough Presidents and final determinations by the City Planning Commission and Board of Estimate. In 1989, the Board of Estimate was ruled unconstitutional on Equal Protection grounds and ULURP was amended to allocate the Board's powers between the City Planning Commission and the City Council. This Spring, the Mayor established a Charter Revision Commission which has identified the land use process as one of the issues to be addressed.  

This course, presented by experienced land use attorneys Howard Goldman and Caroline G. Harris, will explain how ULURP works, touch on the key issues relevant to to the Charter Revision Commission's review, and explore how ULURP might be amended.

Learning Objectives:

1. Examine how ULURP works in theory
2. Discuss how ULURP works in practice
3. Identify key legal issues  associated with ULURP
4. Consider how ULURP can be modified through Charter revision