We welcome the recent announcement that the city is upzoning SoHo and NoHo for affordable housing. For too long, higher-income, majority-white neighborhoods have been able to stymie development and affordable housing, shifting the burden onto other, lower-income neighborhoods. We need affordable housing in every neighborhood, especially ones without it.

In our Fourth Regional Plan, RPA called for affordable housing to be built in every community, including affluent areas. In February, we suggested that rezoning the SoHo/NoHo neighborhood for Mandatory Inclusionary Housing could contribute to this goal.

This effort is starting with SoHo/NoHo, but shouldn’t end with it. Another higher-income, majority white neighborhood - Gowanus - is also due to start the rezoning process early next year after several years of community visioning and planning. But more could easily follow. Many neighborhoods in New York City where rezoning could help with housing equity have been left out of the conversation altogether.

However, the recent release of the New York City’s Where We Live Plan indicates that this could be changing, with a new focus on expanding affordable housing opportunities in low-density and amenity-rich areas. Below are five neighborhoods, one in each borough, which could rezone for mixed-income housing: These are neighborhoods with good access to jobs and transit, are majority white and have significantly higher incomes than average, and which are much lower-density than surrounding neighborhoods.

Riverdale

Riverdale in the Northwest Bronx has long had some of the most restrictive zoning in the City, with much of it zoned exclusively for large single-family homes. It’s no surprise it’s also the wealthiest area in the Bronx. Riverdale is only half an hour from Grand Central Terminal by Metro North Railroad, and also has two express bus routes and is walking distance to the 1 train. By taking a new look at Riverdale’s restrictive zoning rules, we could allow for more affordable housing while still ensuring the neighborhood retains its natural beauty.

The Meatpacking District and the far-West Village

Like SoHo/NoHo, much of the far-west side of Lower Manhattan is still zoned for industrial uses which have long left the neighborhood. The inability to build new apartment buildings has led the older low-rise industrial buildings to be turned into large single homes reserved for the very wealthy instead. Like SoHo/NoHo, the area has several historic districts which would prevent existing landmarks from being torn down regardless of any zoning changes. And modern mixed-income buildings are far from incompatible with nearby historic districts - they already easily co-exist on the same blocks as many historic districts, including the Ladies Mile Historic District, the Chelsea Historic District, and the NoHo Historic District itself

Grasmere

Staten Island might not be thought of as a transit-oriented place, but just south of the Staten Island Expressway sits Grasmere, a neighborhood within walking distance of two Staten Island Railroad stops as well as express bus routes that go over the nearby Verrazano Bridge. Currently predominantly single-family houses and car-oriented strip malls, with the right zoning it could support good mixed-use, mixed-income development.

We should continue to ask leaders how they plan to build upon the recent SoHo announcement to create more affordable housing in more New York City communities, particularly affluent ones which haven’t seen much, if any, new affordable housing. These five neighborhoods are great places to start, though they’re far from the only options. Zooming out, there are several communities in the tri-state region, which continues to be one of the most segregated and least affordable areas in the United States, which can support more affordable housing. Soon, RPA will follow up this list of city neighborhoods with a list of more places across the region which are ideal places to add more affordable housing.