Greener, greater New York

Four years ago we asked what we want our city to look and feel like in 2030.

A growing population, aging infrastructure, a changing climate, and an evolving economy posed challenges to our city's success and quality of life. But we recognized that we will determine our own future by how we respond to and shape these changes with our own actions.

We created PlaNYC as a bold agenda to meet these challenges and build a greener, greater New York.

This effort has yielded tremendous results. In just four years we've added more than 200 acres of parkland while improving our existing parks. We've created or preserved more than 64,000 units of affordable housing. We've provided New Yorkers with more transportation choices. We've enacted ambitious laws to make existing buildings more energy-efficient. And our greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 13% below 2005 levels. The Plan focuses on the physical city, and the functionality of its infrastructure in our everyday lives: housing that is too often too expensive, neighborhoods that need more playgrounds, aged water and power systems overdue for upgrade, congested streets and crowded subways. If these challenges remain unaddressed, we will undermine our economy and our quality of life.

Our city's history teaches us that investing in our future is not a luxury, but an imperative. In the 19th century, innovative and ambitious investments in infrastructure like the Croton water system and the Brooklyn Bridge, plus an unprecedented influx of new people, firmly established New York as the nation's leading city. In ensuing decades, the city's dynamism and ability to reinvent itself, exemplified by new investments in subways, skyscrapers, sanitation, and sewers all propelled New York's status as a global leader in infrastructure and innovation.

That's the story of our city, century after century. Times change, but New York City often leads the change. The key to New York's success has always been our leaders' foresight and courage to boldly meet challenges and capitalize on opportunities.