Zohran Mamdani. Image credit: Wikimedia user Bingjiefu He licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
On November 4th, Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race, completing a political upset that saw the State Assemblyman beat former State Governor Andrew Cuomo to both the Democratic nomination and the mayoral office. The 34-year-old self-described democratic socialist led a grassroots campaign driven by growing inequalities in the city, particularly on affordable housing.
Mamdani’s policy platform, if enacted as pledged, brings with it a range of projects and reforms of note for the city’s architects, from signature plans for public housing construction and renovation to retrofitting of schools. Meanwhile, Mamdani’s labor policy may bring with it new requirements for firms hiring in the city. Below, we have rounded up five such policies.
Affordable housing construction plans
Mamdani’s securing of both the Democratic nomination and ultimately the mayoral office revolved around his pledges to make housing affordable. Over the next ten years, Mamdani has pledged to triple the city’s production of publicly subsidized, affordable, union-built, rent-stabilized homes, constructing 200,000 new units in ten years.
“This $100 billion commitment over 10 years will once again make New York City a leader in providing homes for families who earn less than $70,000 a year—the median income for renters in New York—and ensure that our City’s resources are used to provide jobs with safety and dignity,” Mamdani notes.
In addition, Mamdani has pledged to double the City’s capital investment in major renovations for NYCHA housing, as well as activating underutilized storage areas such as parking lots for affordable housing development. Any project that commits to the administration’s affordability, stabilization, union labor, and sustainability goals will also be expedited through land use review.
Planning and zoning overhaul
In addition to construction plans, Mamdani has pledged to create a new Comprehensive City plan to guide housing development across the city. Among the aims of the plan will be increasing zoning capacity, climate and accessibility considerations, and eliminating parking minimums.
“It’s high time we reformed our disjointed planning and zoning processes to create a holistic vision for affordability, equity, and growth,” Mamdani’s policy note reads. “Comprehensive, citywide planning will allow NYC both to address the legacy of racially discriminatory zoning and to proactively plan for the health and needs of the city—in housing, transit, education, and other areas.”
The plan will particularly target areas that have historically not contributed to citywide housing goals, increasing zoning capacity for both mixed-income and permanently affordable housing. Meanwhile, the plan will encourage development around subway stations and transit hubs across the city. The plan will also see the elimination of parking minimum standards, with the policy note declaring: “The City should be building housing, not parking lots.”
Related on Archinect: Unpacking the factors behind New York City’s complex housing crisis. Image: Matthis Volquardsen/PexelsPublic school renovation program
Beyond housing, Mamdani’s construction pledges will also include overhauls to schools. The mayor plans to renovate 500 public schools with renewable energy infrastructure and HVAC upgrades, in a joint effort to improve learning conditions and enhance environmental standards.
“NYC public schools badly need upgrades. Many public school buildings have unsafe toxins that threaten the health of our students,” Mamdani notes. “Some schools do not have effective heating or air conditioning, which makes it harder for students to concentrate on classwork. In recent years, hundreds of schools have experienced flooding from heavy storms. By targeting schools for green renovations, we will upgrade unhealthy facilities, reduce air pollution, expand access to greenspace, and improve learning conditions— while also addressing climate change.”
In addition, the mayor has pledged to build 500 ‘green schoolyards’ by turning heat-absorbing asphalt into green spaces for students and communities. Finally, 50 public schools will be upgraded into resiliency hubs to support communities with the highest exposure to climate-related hazards, host community events, and provide cooling and heating for in-need residents.
Free buses and infrastructure upgrades
One of Mamdani’s signature plans calls for “fast, fare-free buses.” As a State Assemblyman, Mamdani had previously led an effort to introduce the state’s first fare-free bus pilot project on five lines across the city.
“Public transit should be reliable, safe, and universally accessible,” Mamdani’s policy notes. “But one in five New Yorkers struggle to afford the ever rising fare. Adding insult to injury: Our city’s buses are the slowest in the nation, robbing working people of precious time for family, leisure, and rest.”
Mamdani has pledged to “permanently eliminate the fare on every city bus” and install infrastructure to speed up operations. Among the plans are bus priority lanes, bus queue jump signals, and dedicated loading zones.
Related on Archinect: A Guide to Salary Transparency Laws Across the United States. Image credit: PixabayEmployment rights reform
Beyond changes to New York’s architectural and urban fabric, Mayor Mamdani’s plans will also include reforms to laws governing labor and employment rights in New York City businesses, including architecture firms. Among the plans are a total ban on non-compete clauses, with the mayor working with the City Council to advance a bill. While non-competes were banned by the Federal Trade Commission in 2024, enforcement during the Trump Administration has waned.
“Employers also pressure workers to sign functional non-competes, like training repayment agreement provisions (TRAPs), which require employees to pay back the supposed costs of their training if they leave work or are terminated; stay-or-pay agreements; and overbroad NDAs that restrict an employee from using their general skills, knowledge, and inventive ability,” Mamdani’s policy reads. “All of these schemes restrict workers’ rights, weaken their negotiating power, suppress wages, and have no place in a just economy.”
In addition, the city’s Consumer Protection Law will be expanded to strengthen the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Among the department’s goals will be to combat employers classifying full-time staff as independent contractors. The moves would join existing progressive employment reform, such as the requirement for many New York City businesses to provide salary ranges in job ads.