How CivicReset Sees Queens Zoning as a Citywide Test Case

CivicReset is confronting how outdated zoning and land use policy are fueling NYC’s housing crisis — and few places show the stakes more clearly than Queens.

Anyone who has lived in New York City for some time will have noticed changes in its largest borough. Whether looking at Queens from the opposite bank of the East River or from its interior, one detail will continuously catch your eye: its skyline.

Queens, once a patchwork of low-density zoned neighborhoods, has begun to explode with development activity. From the massive high rises in Long Island City to new apartment developments in Jackson Heights, Flushing, and Astoria, Queens as a whole is changing.

While looking through old photos taken near Hunters Point in LIC — the core of the 2001 up-zoning area — I realized just how much the neighborhood had changed. From sprawling industrial areas in the 70s and extreme decay in the 90s to a developed, high-density area featuring rentals, small businesses, and, perhaps most importantly — young people and families.

CivicReset on the 2001 Zoning for Housing Opportunity in LIC

This dramatic transformation didn’t exactly happen overnight — but kind of. It kicked off in 2001, when LIC saw its first wave of change through a rezoning effort that covered 37 blocks from Queensboro Plaza to Hunters Point. The goal was to “take advantage of LIC’s excellent access to mass transit and its supply of large, cheap, and underdeveloped properties.” As part of the plan, the city required improvements to subway infrastructure, ground-floor retail in certain developments, wider sidewalks, and new green space. To avoid the skyline becoming a row of identical towers, the rezoning also introduced height and setback rules to encourage a more varied built environment.

When visiting the area shaped by that original 2001 zoning reform, you’ll see a more complete picture: residential buildings mixed with stores, walkable blocks, and signs of real neighborhood life — a strong example of transit-oriented development done right.

Closer to Queensboro Plaza, you’ll find many large modern office buildings — some completed, others in progress. These offices are incredibly enticing for companies looking to base themselves in NYC without paying Manhattan rents. In Queens, newly constructed office space averages around $50 per square foot, while Manhattan averages $100. That kind of savings played a major role in making the 2001 rezoning project a success — and today serves as a case study for future office-to-residential conversions.

When Zoning Expands Without a Community Planning Framework

But just west of that success story — along the LIC waterfront and Center Boulevard — a very different kind of development took hold. New zoning rules allowed for more towers, but without the same framework that had made the earlier transformation sustainable. The result: massive luxury high-rises sprang up seemingly overnight. The population grew rapidly, but the feel of a neighborhood never followed.

Average rents in the area soared, reaching around $4,000 for studio apartments, while basic infrastructure lagged. Despite the density, the streets feel oddly quiet. Just a few blocks east of Center Boulevard, you’re back to low-rise factories and 3-4 story buildings — a sharp contrast from the gleaming towers along the waterfront.

Small businesses are few and far between — aside from the usual upscale dining spots — and the reason for this is simple: the area was allowed to grow fast without zoning that required ground-floor retail, public amenities, or affordability.

When comparing Center Boulevard to the 2001 zoning area, the differences are glaring. That earlier effort gave its community time to evolve. It built in infrastructure requirements, encouraged commercial activity, and created a template for growth. Center Boulevard, by contrast, was built quickly and vertically, with little thought for what happens at ground level.

Astoria and the Spillover Effects of Non‑Equitable Development

And while LIC may be physically sectioned off by train lines and underused industrial land, the consequences of its unbalanced development don’t stay contained.

Astoria has felt it more than any other neighborhood nearby. Once a largely middle-class area, Astoria has seen a wave of new construction, rising rents, and longtime businesses pushed out in favor of tenants who can pay more. Renters have felt the pressure too — the rent burden is real, with the average monthly rate jumping from $2,500 in 2024 to $3,400 in 2025, far outpacing wage growth.

Landlords, watching LIC’s market explode, raised prices in Astoria to chase the same money. Small businesses were hit just as hard. Commercial landlords, knowing mom-and-pop shops couldn’t keep up, raised rents to favor national chains and high-end retailers. The result is a one-two punch: middle-class residents and neighborhood institutions pushed out by people and companies who can afford to take their place. It’s a feedback loop — and one that’s accelerating.

CivicReset’s Vision: From Overdevelopment to Balanced Growth

So, what can be done to stop the bleeding caused by unchecked development and predatory pricing?

The answer isn’t to scale back density. It’s to get zoning right.

CivicReset advocates for a non-exclusionary community planning framework that welcomes new housing with intention — requiring affordability, guaranteeing ground-floor retail, removing outdated parking minimums, and ensuring services grow alongside population. We don’t need fewer buildings — we need buildings that work for the people who live in them and around them.

The original 2001 rezoning wasn’t perfect, but it showed that smart, phased implementation and transit proximity can actually build neighborhoods — not just towers. If we want growth that benefits everyone, not just developers, then NYC needs a reset.