“Undesign the Redline” Exhibit on History of Redlining and Housing Discrimination Unveiled in New York City Hall

For Immediate Release
October 9, 2024

Contacts:
City Planning: Casey Berkovitz, Joe Marvilli - [email protected] (212) 720-3471

NEW YORK - Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today unveiled an installation in the City Hall Rotunda of "Undesign the Redline," an interactive installation on the history of redlining and racial housing segregation in New York City. Created by the design studio Designing the We, the exhibit connects the history of New York City's racial housing segregation to the city's current housing crisis. As the city faces a generational housing crisis, with racial and socioeconomic segregation, a historically low 1.4 percent rental vacancy rate, and half of New York renters paying more than 30 percent of their income in rent, the exhibit educates viewers on one of the root causes of the ongoing crisis. Members of the public can visit the installation by joining a public tour of City Hall. Select photos are available here.

"The roots of segregation and racism still linger in our housing policies, contributing to the housing crisis that New Yorkers face today," said Mayor Adams. "To undo the racism of the past, we must confront the impact it continues to have on our city today. 'Undesign the Redline' is a vital educational tool that will ensure everyone who walks through the doors of City Hall leaves with a better understanding of our history. As our administration continues to work tirelessly to advance critically needed housing, I encourage all New Yorkers to join us in undesigning the redline and delivering on the racial and housing justice our city deserves."

"Many New Yorkers may be shocked to learn that our city still bears the scars of discrimination, segregation, and concentrated poverty, which shaped New York City and virtually all cities across the United States in the 20th century. This did not happen by accident. Decades of decisions led us here, many of which were expressly designed to separate people by race and ethnicity," said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. "Undesign the Redline is a searing reminder of our past and an urgent call to action: we can and must build a city where every neighborhood is open to New Yorkers from every walk of life."

"We must grapple with the history of discrimination in New York if we are going to create a more just, integrated city. As we work to tear down the 'invisible walls' of exclusionary zoning that still keep our neighborhoods segregated, Undesign the Redline is an urgent reminder of the forces that have shaped our city and our neighborhoods," said Dan Garodnick, Director of the Department of City Planning. "The work to advance racial justice is more vital than ever, and by critically examining our history, this installation can help us craft the path forward."

"This exhibition is a well-crafted reminder of the painful history of redlining, and the devastating legacy of housing segregation in New York City," said Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. "Because we know that where we live matters, we need housing of all types in all neighborhoods across the city. As we continue to make history with back-to-back record-breaking years in housing production, we are also looking to the future to allow for a little more housing in every neighborhood to undo our legacy of segregation and advance our fair housing goals. As we recently did through our Where We Live NYC library campaign, we invite all New Yorkers to come to the City Hall rotunda and reflect on the powerful message of "Undesign the Redline" as we continue to come together for a more inclusive City."

"Redlining has left a lasting scar on New York City's neighborhoods," said Annabel Palma, Chair and Commissioner of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. "Decades of discriminatory practices have segregated communities and deprived people of color of equal opportunities for stable housing. There is no room for housing discrimination in our city. If anyone has experienced or witnessed discrimination in housing, I urge them to contact the Commission on Human Rights through our Infoline (212) 416-0197 or our website nyc.gov/humanrights."
"Addressing our city's housing crises requires an understanding of our history and legacy of redlining and racial segregation," said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. "The Undesign the Redline exhibit is a reminder that the inequities we still grapple with today are the result of intentional policy choices, and require equally intentional policy choices to undo. I look forward to working with our colleagues in the City Council to advance fair housing policies, including our collective efforts to build a little more housing in every neighborhood through the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity."

"Undesign the Redline tells the history of redlining, but it's also an organizing tool. It's important to understand the systemic roots of today's crises, and just as important to act to heal those old divisions. If you aren't intentionally undoing the legacy of racist policies like redlining, which still determine so much of what's possible for too many New Yorkers, then you are most likely reproducing the same outcomes over again," said Braden Crooks, Co-Founding Partner, Designing the We. "We all deserve to live in thriving, diverse neighborhoods where many different people have the opportunity to succeed and be in community with one another -- let's let that vision motivate us. There are many steps still to take, but we hope by understanding this history we can keep moving in the right direction."

Designing the We originally launched the Undesign the Redline exhibit in the Bronx in 2015. Now celebrating nine years, the exhibit has traveled across the city and country, elevating stories of how structural racism and inequality were designed into places through policies like redlining, urban renewal, and exclusionary zoning. The exhibit has been used in campaigns for fair housing legislation, zoning reform, and community wealth building. The exhibit has also been displayed across the city - from Brownsville and Gowanus to East Harlem and the Bronx to the Financial District - as well as across the country. New Yorkers have engaged with Undesign the Redline, collaboratively telling the story of how the city reached a housing crisis. Telling the story of why neighborhoods look the way they do today, and why New Yorkers deal with so many crises - from housing to health to wealth - is as vital as ever.

The installation comes as DCP and the Adams administration work to address racial inequities within the city's housing. City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the most pro-housing zoning proposal in New York City's history, was recently approved by the City Planning Commission and is being considered by the City Council. DCP estimates that the proposal could produce as many as 108,850 new homes over the next 15 years through a carefully crafted series of zoning changes to enable "a little more housing in every neighborhood" and tear down invisible walls of exclusionary zoning that have cut off housing opportunity in many neighborhoods. 

In addition to City of Yes, HPD is developing "Where We Live NYC 2025" - an update to the city's comprehensive fair housing plan, which originally informed the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. The administration is also implementing Local Law 167, which establishes a "Fair Housing Framework for New York City." The new law helps to ensure that every neighborhood plays an equitable role in addressing the city's housing crisis through community district-level housing production targets and an assessment of unique community housing needs.

The installation of Undesign the Redline also comes on the heels of the largest civil rights settlement in city history for a housing discrimination settlement against Parkchester Preservation Management. In the settlement, announced in August, the New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) imposed $1 million in civil penalties, the highest ever ordered for violations under the housing provisions of the New York City Human Rights Law and secured 850 apartment units to be set aside for housing voucher holders, the most ever secured in a CCHR settlement.

The Adams administration has made record investments towards creating and preserving affordable housing. In July, Mayor Adams announced back-to-back record breaking years in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. In June, the Adams administration delivered an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invests $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to HPD and the New York City Housing Authority's capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed a record $26 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a general housing crisis. Under Mayor Adams' leadership, the city is fulfilling its 2024 State of the City commitment to build more affordable housing, including being ahead of schedule on advancing two dozen affordable housing projects on city-owned land this year through the "24 in '24 " initiative, reopening the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program waitlist after being closed to general applications for nearly 15 years, and creating the Tenant Protection Cabinet to coordinate across agencies to better serve tenants.

Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City's 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.

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