A New Chapter for New York: Growth Through Collaboration

By Louise Phillips Forbes, Brown Harris Stevens

New York City’s recent mayoral election garnered national attention, marking a pivotal moment for the city’s future. As someone who has spent more than three decades helping New Yorkers claim their piece of the rock, I believe this moment represents an opportunity for growth — not division.

A Digital City

By 2029, more than 8,000 pages of land maps will be digitized, offering a unified system for decision makers. This digital transformation will provide a bird’s-eye view of the city, enabling smarter, long-term planning that benefits all five boroughs. It will help prioritize infrastructure improvements, foster cohesive urban planning, and ultimately strengthen the fabric of our neighborhoods and communities.

A Defining Moment for Housing

With the passing of several major amendments to the city housing charter, there is a real opportunity to turn policy into progress. The process stands to move faster overall, and especially in the twelve community board districts that have historically approved the least amount of affordable housing development. And for previously rejected projects, an Affordable Housing Appeals Board, comprised of the Mayor, Borough President and City Council Speaker, will be formed to provide a second look.

Opportunity Through Collaboration

Mayor-elect Mamdani will have a platform to strengthen partnerships between city leadership and developers. History shows this model works — the Bloomberg administration rezoned a significant portion of the city’s landmass and leveraged tax incentives to create powerful collaborations that delivered affordable housing. When incentives align with sound business strategy, the private sector mobilizes to build solutions that last.

A Chance to Lead Nationally

With these measures already being viewed as a potential template for other cities, New York is once again positioned to lead by example by showing how we can invest, innovate, and serve responsibly.

I’ve seen the city’s resilience and creativity time and again. This moment is no different. Together, we have an opportunity to channel that spirit into creating an inclusive future for all who call our special rock home.

With 34 years of experience and nearly $6 billion in career sales, Louise Phillips Forbes is a top producing agent at Brown Harris Stevens and one of the most trusted voices in New York real estate, representing buyers, sellers, and developers across the city.

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