New Projects!

To enhance New York City’s ability to understand and affect regional-scaled planning issues, the City has five key objectives:

The New York City tri-state metropolitan region is complex, marked by layers of governance and divided management of our shared infrastructure  By dedicating resources to a regional planning office, NYC is reaching out across our borders, and investing in a more connected, strong and equitable metropolitan future.

For more information, please contact us at regional@planning.nyc.gov

Today we are a region of 22.8 million people and over 10.2 million jobs, and growing!
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 31-county tri-state region grew by 2.7% from 2010 to 2016. The nearly 600,000 people added is more than any other region in the country, and is equivalent to the entire population of the city of Boston. Over 60% of that growth was in NYC alone, which at 8.53 million people—a historic population high for the city—represents 40% of the region’s total population. Growth in the region’s core represents a departure from regional growth of the 20th century, which was characterized by suburbanization and outward expansion.   

This map represents population per square mile for U.S. Census Bureau Minor County Divisions and Census Designated Places using the 2011-2015 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates for total population, and therefore represents an average over that period. It also shows share of regional population by NYC, inner, and outer counties from 1900 to 2016.

This map represents total private jobs mapped to U.S. Census Tracts for 2014 using U.S. Census data. The graphic also indicates the share of total employment - including public employment - for NYC metropolitan region counties using U.S. Department of Labor data, aggregated by subregion.

For more information on population trends within New York City, please visit the NYC Population section of our website, or for more information about economic trends within the city, please visit the NYC Economy section of our website.

Post-recession, our region is re-centralizing.
Recent migration patterns suggest that more people are moving to and staying in our region, with a focus on the urban core in areas connected to transit. This is especially true for NYC, which accounted for 60% of regional population growth since 2010. Hudson County, New Jersey saw the fastest rate of population growth (+6.9%), as well as the largest net population gain (+43,700) outside of NYC.

This trend is more pronounced in employment changes NYC accounted for 88% of the region’s net total private jobs gain post-recession, adding more than 416,000 jobs from 2008 to 2015. As a result, NYC is at an all-time peak of employment, while many areas of the region have not fully recovered from the recession.

Less central parts of the region with limited transit links, which led growth during the second half of the 20th century, are generally not growing. Our region’s future now depends on how well we plan for population and jobs in highly connected, transit-oriented neighborhoods.

This map represents percentage change in population from 2010 to 2016, as well as net population change, by county. It also indicates the percentage growth by subregion for NYC, Connecticut, Long Island, the mid-Hudson and lower Hudson Valley, inner New Jersey and outer New Jersey. NYC, inner New Jersey and lower Hudson exceeded the region’s average growth rate of 2.7% over this period.

This map represents statistically significant net population gains at the 90% confidence level mapped by Minor County Division or Census Designated Place outside of NYC, using the ACS 5-Year Estimates for annual population between 2006-2010 and 2011-2015.It therefore represents the net change of the average total population during the two 5-year periods. The share of growth by subregion is calculated using the Population Estimates Program.

As a result, our transit and infrastructure are under enormous pressure.
Strong population growth in inner counties and growing demand for commutation into NYC increases the strain on our aging rail and road networks. In the last five years, commuting into NYC for work increased from all directions, with the most significant increases coming from across the Hudson River. Strong population growth in Northern New Jersey has not been matched by job growth, and the resulting geographic mismatch increases the number of commuters trying to enter Manhattan through the already strained Hudson River crossings. Moreover, New Yorkers are increasingly accessing job opportunities throughout the region, with more than 450,000 NYC residents employed by businesses located outside of the city.

If job growth can be cultivated at locations throughout the region, particularly ones that are accessible by multiple transit services, this can reduce the extent of infrastructure investment needed to accommodate population and economic growth. We need to think regionally about long term investments, jobs and population growth patterns that support efficient and reliable mobility across our congested region.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there has been a 20% increase in residents living in the NY metro region commuting to NYC daily for work, and a 12% increase in NYC residents commuting to jobs outside of the city, from 2000 to 2015. While the increase in daily trips into NYC averaged +1% annually from 2000 to 2010, from 2010-2015 that increase nearly doubled – average +1.8% per year.

Housing supply and affordability is a regional problem.
Around 45% of renter households in the NYC region are rent-burdened, with rents rising and incomes stagnating across the board. NYC has adopted an aggressive policy to build more market rate and subsidized housing, but the city alone cannot alleviate the pressure. According to the U.S. Census Building Permit Survey, from 2010 to 2015 NYC accounted for 44% of the 271,000 new housing permits and 60% of all multifamily permits, despite region-wide population growth. We must work together across the region to stimulate housing production and relieve the burden on households of all income levels.

 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the region is nearly split between renter-occupied and owner-occupied households. The majority of renter householders are in NYC and inner New Jersey, accounting for 56% and 20% of the region’s share respectively. Despite concentration in the core, nearly half of all renter households throughout the region reported spending more than 35% of their income on rent.

Our communities are increasingly diverse and interconnected—so we need to be as well.
With over 6 million foreign-born residents from 110 countries, and newcomers from throughout the U.S., our region has always welcomed those in search of economic opportunity and a better quality of life. Whether living in NYC, working in NYC, or accessing recreation, education, and healthcare, this region is home to the greatest concentration of interconnected assets in the nation. We should work across borders to effectively plan for the future in this dynamic environment supported by our shared resources.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 6.65 million residents of this region are foreign born, accounting for 29% of the region’s population. Latin America and Asia represent the greatest share of foreign born residents, 80%. Of the total regional foreign born population, about half reside in New York City.