The Suburb That Defied NIMBY

New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City, has successfully streamlined approval processes and engaged with the local community to build thousands of new downtown apartments, boosting affordable housing stock.

August 16, 2023 . 4:08 AM

1 min read

New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City, has successfully overcome red tape and community opposition to build thousands of new downtown apartments.
The city has added about 2,500 apartment units over the past eight years, with plans for a total of 6,300 units across 30 real-estate projects.
Nearly one in five of the downtown apartments will be below market rate, increasing affordable housing stock.
New Rochelle expedited the zoning and environment review process, engaged with the local community, and used virtual reality goggles to visualize the new buildings.
The streamlined process allowed developers to gain approval in just 90 days, compared to the years-long process in other areas.