“New York City, long positioned at the forefront of housing innovation, is falling behind,” the author writes. “The most effective innovations happen when residents are treated as partners with authority and vision.”

The North Loop neighborhood in Minneapolis in 2022. The city was the first in the U.S. to eliminate single-family zoning. (Shutterstock.com)

Across the U.S. and around the world, everyday people—tenants, workers, organizers—are transforming the future of housing in their cities and catalyzing positive change. New York City, long positioned at the forefront of housing innovation, is falling behind.

Government-led policy change can create real impact but often relies on familiar mechanisms and can limit fresh perspectives. In other cities, grassroots movements are gaining momentum and turning collective energy into tangible action. Policy makers and governance have responded to their voices. 

With a new administration entering office, it is time for the city to revitalize its housing strategy holistically, not just through top-down policy and regulatory change, but by leaning into the experiences, ideas, and energy of the public.

Resident-inspired “bottom-up” initiatives are reshaping housing policy with concrete examples emerging from cities around the world. In Minnesota, a grassroots movement called “Neighbors for More Neighbors” helped transform the public conversation on state housing policy, using art and social media campaigns to highlight how exclusionary zoning limits access to affordable homes. This later developed into a more solid, organized coalition.

With goals of increasing both housing supply and the diversity of housing options, the coalition played a strong role in the passage of the Minneapolis 2040 plan. Amongst other measures, the 2040 plan eliminated single-family zoning citywide—the first major city in the U.S. to implement this. Single-family zoning not only capped housing density but also created neighborhoods segregated by income and race. This significant regulatory change was a response to community-led demands to address both housing affordability and the legacy of segregation. 

Similar models exist internationally. In Amsterdam, Schoonchip provides another example of resident-led innovation. This sustainable, floating community of 46 homes connected by a communal jetty was conceived and organized by a citizen-led collective rather than a standard commercial developer. The homes are equipped with solar panels and water-based heat pumps and are linked by a smart grid that allows residents to share power efficiently. With an emphasis on sustainability, circular economy principles and strong social connections, Schoonschip can serve as a prototype for densely populated waterfront cities grappling with sea-level rise and climate change impacts.

Berlin offers another example of large-scale, resident-led protests which helped inspire projects such as the transformation of Haus der Stastistik near Alexander Platz. The Haus der Statistik was a large building complex and the headquarters of the GDR’s Central Administration for Statistics. After the reunification of Berlin, it fell into disrepair and eventually was slated for demolition. Activists, motivated to put it to productive use, staged a large-scale protest that sparked a collaborative city-backed adaptive reuse transformation. Today, this complex is in the process of being developed as a vibrant mixed-use space that will incorporate housing, art, social spaces, and government offices—all for public benefit and collective urban enrichment.

Community action has long been a driving force for change in New York City. Protest in New York housing history began with immigrant communities’ rent strikes against poor housing conditions and rising rents in the early 20th century, leading to the city’s first rent control laws. More recent advocacy helped lead to the passage of the Good Cause Eviction law, which protects tenants from arbitrary evictions.   

New York City recently enacted its most significant zoning update in over six decades with the “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” a comprehensive amendment aimed at expanding affordable housing and adding flexibility to development parameters citywide. While the City of Yes underwent a robust public review process and was modified based on input from community groups, it was primarily a government-led effort implementing change through an established regulatory framework. 

The examples above highlight that the most effective innovations happen when residents are treated as partners with authority and vision. When it comes to the current housing crisis, NYC has yet to fully engage with the scale of public-inspired activism and participatory resident-inspired solutions seen in other cities.    

As the city’s new leadership prepares to take office, it inherits both an urgent housing crisis and an unparalleled opportunity. New York’s greatest resource has always been its people. As we look to the future, we must share our ideas and hold our leaders accountable.

To Mayor-Elect Mamdani, your rise was powered by the same kind of grassroots energy that has spurred housing movements across the world. Now, that same ethos can guide how New York reimagines its housing future. Treat the people—tenants, workers, and organizers—as partners in policymaking. Support and invest in creative, grassroots solutions. Establish policy level support that provides the framework to make these solutions scalable. Let’s see what people-inspired creativity can achieve and rise to the challenge of making it happen right here in our city. 

Wendi Shafran is a principal at FXCollaborative Architects and is on the board of the Citizens Planning and Housing Council (CHPC). In 2024-2025 she completed a fellowship with the Urban Design Forum’s Global Exchange and traveled to Berlin to study global strategies to address the housing crisis. She recently traveled to Minneapolis to participate in the jury of the AIA Minnesota and The McKnight Foundation Affordable Housing Design Award. 

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