Mayor Bill de Blasio Updates On Significant OneNYC 2018 Progress

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the release of the OneNYC 2018 Progress Report, an update on the progress made since the release of the original One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City in April 2015. OneNYC provides a blueprint for tackling New York City’s most significant challenges—population growth, aging infrastructure, increasing inequality, and climate change. You can read the report here.

“Three years ago, my administration released OneNYC, a bold strategy to build the fairest city in America. It is grounded in the belief that environmental sustainability, environmental justice and economic sustainability for our residents must walk hand in hand. Today, we recognize that OneNYC is working: jobs are up and crime is down. Our air and waterways are cleaner than they’ve been in decades, and our city continues to lead in the fight against climate change. These achievements don’t happen by accident. They are the result of an engaged government, an active citizenry and shared vision of a city that works for all New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Since 2015, the City has made significant progress toward OneNYC’s goals. Highlights include:

VISION 1: Our Growing, Thriving City

• We have seen record job and wage growth and record low unemployment, with gains in all five boroughs.
• Affordable housing in 2017 hit a 30-year high, with over 87,500 homes financed since 2014.
• CreateNYC, with an over $15 million investment, is expanding and diversifying cultural offerings across the five boroughs.

VISION 2: Our Just and Equitable City

• The City’s jail population has fallen to the lowest in decades alongside record low crime rates.
• The City is ahead of schedule in lifting 800,000 New Yorkers out of poverty or near poverty by 2025, with the lowest poverty level since the Great Recession.
• We tripled the number of children in free, full-day, high-quality Pre-K and launched 3-K for All.
• Through Vision Zero NYC has achieved the safest roads since the dawn of the automobile.
• Over 1.1 million New Yorkers have secured municipal identification through IDNYC.

VISION 3: Our Sustainable City

• NYC was the first major city or state in the nation to commit to divesting pension funds from fossil fuels.
• We were the first city to align with the Paris Agreement; NYC has reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions 15%; we are pursuing first-in-the-nation mandatory building retrofits will deepen the city’s emissions cuts.
• The city’s renewable solar energy has increased solar six-fold to over 148 megawatts.
• The City has over 1,000 electric vehicles in use by City agencies and over 500 charging stations are already installed.
• Over 3.2 million New Yorkers are already served by organics collection, the largest curbside organics program in the country.
• The City marks 10-year anniversary of NYC Carbon Challenge reducing nearly 600,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the same as taking 125,000 cars of the road.

VISION 4: Our Resilient City

• We brought pioneering litigation against five fossil fuel companies most responsible for climate change
• Launched a comprehensive $106 million heat mitigation and adaptation program to keep New Yorkers safe during extreme heat
• New Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines will institutionalize climate-smart construction across the city.
• The city secured a ground-breaking commitment from FEMA to redraw our flood maps to better account for flood risk.
• Major project milestones continue to be met across the City’s over $20 billion resiliency program, including completion of the Rockaway boardwalk, interim flood protection measures, and hundreds of home elevations.

The four OneNYC visions and their corresponding goals and initiatives will ensure that as our city grows, it also becomes stronger, fairer, and more capable of meeting the challenges that lie ahead.

• Vision One: Our Growing, Thriving City – New York City will continue to be the world’s most dynamic urban economy where families, businesses and neighborhoods thrive.
• Vision Two: Our Just and Equitable City – New York City will have an inclusive, equitable economy that offers well-paying jobs and opportunities for all New Yorkers to live with dignity and security.
• Vision Three: Our Sustainable City – OneNYC will ensure that New York City is the most sustainable big city in the world and a global leader in the fight against climate change.
• Vision Four: Our Resilient City – OneNYC will ensure that our neighborhoods, economy and public services are ready to withstand and emerge stronger from the impacts of climate change and other 21st century threats.

Full details on all OneNYC goals, initiatives, and metrics can be found at nyc.gov/OneNYC. This progress report includes milestones for each of its active initiatives, as well as those carried over from prior sustainability and resiliency plans. The City will continue to update the public throughout the year on progress in delivering on OneNYC commitments. OneNYC was the first resilience strategy released by any city in partnership with 100 Resilient Cities, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, and set a tone for the pursuit of sustainable development that has influenced the work of other cities around the globe.

Data on OneNYC indicators will be made available on Open Data.

“This administration made a commitment to New Yorkers in the early days to determine the biggest challenges facing this city and lay out a plan to solve them, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan. “We have record job and wage growth; we’re shrinking our carbon footprint and holding those we invest in accountable; and we’ve gotten our jail population down to the smallest it’s been in decades – all with three more years to improve upon these successes.”

“We are attacking economic inequality on all fronts, from raising wages and spurring good jobs to building and protecting an unprecedented number of affordable homes. In New York City today, incomes are finally rising faster than rents and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are being pulled out of poverty. Now we deepen that work to reach even more of our neighbors,” said Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen.

“The Mayor has made a more just, sustainable, and resilient New York a central goal of our Administration and this shows how far we’ve come,” said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. “While there is still more work to do, this report signals that we are taking big leaps in the right direction.”

“Climate change has a major impact on public health,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio. “From protecting the environment through improved air quality and safeguarding natural resources to investing in New York City’s social infrastructure and emergency preparedness efforts, the OneNYC vision has prioritized improving health outcomes for New Yorkers across the five boroughs – and recognizes that health equity is critical to making our city fairer.”

“The progress we’ve made towards our One NYC goals shows that this Administration is delivering real change to New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” said Phil Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “I’m excited to help further this work and create a more thriving, equitable and sustainable City.”

“Three years after the release of our OneNYC strategy, New York City is thriving as we are creating the fairest big city in America,” said Daniel Zarrilli, New York City’s Senior Director of Climate Policy and Programs and Chief Resilience Officer. “Our economy is stronger. The air and surrounding waterways are cleaner than they’ve been in decades. Our neighborhoods are safer, more affordable, and more environmentally just. And we have raised the bar on climate leadership by taking the fight straight to the fossil fuel companies that have created our climate crisis. We look forward to continuing this work and achieving our OneNYC goals as we build a strong and just city.”

“OneNYC laid a foundation for making our city more equitable, sustainable and resilient. It is a critical tool for planning our future and measuring our progress.,” said Emily W. Newman, Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “This year’s progress report shows the success of hardworking public servants across the city who bring OneNYC’s visions to life, and is a testament to the agency collaboration that allows us to move forward. Thank you to the team that worked tirelessly to produce this year’s report.”

“New York City is setting an example for cities all over the world by prioritizing equity, sustainability, and economic growth for every resident. These commitments are meaningless without each other, and we must continue to drive them forward together,” said Mark Chambers, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.

“Today’s progress report shows that we have made great strides toward becoming a more resilient city. Since the launch of OneNYC in 2014, our coastal defenses and buildings are better prepared for our changing climate. The city’s infrastructure is also better protected, and our neighborhoods are more resilient. There is more to be done but, but every day our city is better prepared to withstand and emerge stronger from climate risks we face both now and into the future,” said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency.

“Three years into OneNYC, we have taken several significant steps toward achieving our goal of sending zero waste to landfills by 2030 – New Yorkers are recycling more today than they were five years ago and we have the largest curbside organics program in the country,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “Achieving zero waste by 2030 will require dedication, commitment, and continued effort from New Yorkers across the five boroughs to reduce, reuse, and recycle their waste. Moving forward, we will continue to work closely with our colleagues in government, community partners, and neighborhoods across New York City to achieve this important goal.”

“NYC Emergency Management is committed to OneNYC’s vision for a united and resilient City,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito. “We’ll continue to work with our partners throughout the city to help all New Yorkers before, during, and after emergencies.”

“OneNYC sets the vision for investing in our waterfront communities. Through the elevation of hundreds of homes across Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, we are improving the resiliency of these coastal communities, while ensuring they remain affordable places to live.” said Amy Peterson, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations.

“The One New York plan is critical to making New York City fairer today and stronger tomorrow,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “We are making the city fairer by lifting more New Yorkers into the middle class, and stronger by providing historic levels of funding to traditionally underinvested neighborhoods.”

“Implementing the largest and most aggressive green infrastructure program in the nation and making significant investments in our wastewater system has resulted in New York Harbor being cleaner today than it has been in over a century,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Moving forward we will continue the important work of protecting our world class drinking water supply and reducing our carbon footprint.”

“DDC’s infrastructure and public building projects support the OneNYC plan and Mayor de Blasio’s overall vision for a healthy and sustainable City,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio. “Whether we’re working with DEP to reduce combined sewer overflow or installing geothermal climate control systems in a new firehouse, we will continue to implement efficient and environmentally friendly designs for the future of over eight million New Yorkers.”

“We are very proud of all the progress we’ve made working together toward OneNYC,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “At DSS, we’ve ended a one-size-fits-all model of employment services and implemented an individualized, career-focused approach that will help New Yorkers build lasting success and financial independence. And with legal assistance for tenants, rental assistance, and new affordable and supportive housing, we’re helping to turn the tide on homelessness.”

“New York City at its heart is a city of immigrants. Today, we are home to more immigrant residents than at any other point in the last century. With the support of Mayor de Blasio and our partners in City government and beyond, we have launched innovative programs to serve all of our residents and integrate every New Yorker into the civic, cultural and economic life of New York City. Programs like IDNYC, now the largest municipal ID card program in the nation, are key to advancing OneNYC’s goals of sustainability, resiliency and equity for all New Yorkers,” said Bitta Mostofi, Acting Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

“OneNYC is our extraordinary commitment to making the City equitable, resilient and sustainable,” said Masha Gindler, Deputy CTO, NYC Digital, Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer. “This new website provides transparency on our progress, allowing New Yorkers to easily understand the commitments their government is making and be excited about the future of the City.”

City Planning Director Marisa Lago said, “The Department of City Planning is proud of our ongoing efforts to make New York City more resilient. Over the past year, we have engaged with over 2,500 New Yorkers at over 100 public events, providing residents with information on flood risk and resiliency, discussing the challenges of building-scale resiliency, and underlining the importance of updating our zoning to address the resiliency issues that we anticipate in the decades to come.”

“Environmental stewardship means setting lofty goals and working hard to achieve them. This year we achieved our OneNYC land cleanup goals two years ahead of schedule and have become the most advanced city in the nation in cleaning up land pollution. Now we are excited to take that work to the next level. Our new goal is to clean up 1000 properties by 2021. That is double the rate of land cleanup that we proposed in OneNYC in 2014,” said Dr. Daniel Walsh, founding director of the Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER). “I want to thank Mayor de Blasio for his leadership and congratulate the talented staff at OER and our partners in the environmental industry and the New York State DEC who have worked with us to improve NYC’s environment.”

“DOB is proud to support the Mayor’s vision of a sustainable, resilient, thriving, and equitable city. We’re improving response times agency-wide, bringing new clarity and consistency to DOB operations, strengthening enforcement, and insisting on the highest standards of integrity, both across the construction industry and within the department. The centerpiece of these reforms is DOB NOW – the department’s self-service platform that will bring nearly all our business online and into the 21st century. None of this would have been possible without the Mayor’s strong support,” said Buildings Commissioner Rick D. Chandler, PE.

“Through OneNYC this administration is working to ensure that growth and equity go hand-in-hand,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “Building on the record-breaking progress of Housing New York, we have accelerated and expanded our plan to achieve 300,000 affordable homes by 2026, while introducing new policies and programs to promote the long-term sustainability of our housing stock and the resiliency of our communities. We will continue to pick up the pace as we work to keep our city affordable, competitive, and sustainable for generations to come.”

“NYC Health + Hospitals is proud of its mission to serve all New Yorkers, regardless of ability to pay,” said Mitchell Katz, MD, president and chief executive officer. “Our vision is to connect more people to health insurance and primary care—the best way to keep New Yorkers happy and healthy.”

Assemblywoman Latrice Walker said, “New York City continues to demonstrate how progressive we are as a unit. With initiatives such as 3-K for All, the birth of the IDNYC program, and the growing demand for the renewable solar energy to our neighborhoods, this is an exceptional example of how much we can accomplish when we work together as New Yorkers.”

“Three years after releasing the world’s first Resilience Strategy, New York remains a national leader in building urban resilience – a particularly impressive feat given the turbulent environment in Washington. New York has made substantial progress meeting their ambitious targets across a range of diverse issues, and is poised to continue this great work in the years to come. 100 Resilient Cities looks forward to continuing our robust partnership with New York as we collectively seek to make the city better in both bad times and good, for all of its residents,” said Michael Berkowitz, President of 100 Resilient Cities – Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation.

“The business community has enthusiastically contributed to achieving the OneNYC objectives, specifically by incorporating resiliency, sustainability and equity into their operations and capital investment programs,” said Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City.

“New York City’s climate action plan puts it on track to deliver on the most ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The evidence from this progress report, from cutting greenhouse gas emissions, to supporting clean energy, or addressing transportation challenges and creating sustainable communities, shows just how inspiring New York’s climate leadership is for cities around the world,” said David Miller, C40 North American Regional Director.

“New York City continues to be a beacon of hope to other towns and cities in the region, nationally and around the world proving that long-range and integrated planning can ensure we reach our vision for sustainability, health, equity and prosperity for all neighborhoods and communities,” said Tom Wright, president of Regional Plan Association. “OneNYC and RPA’s own Fourth Plan are both build around this vision, and RPA looks forward to working together with New York City to implement the shared goals and approaches in both plans.”

“New York City is on the frontlines of climate action, and OneNYC is an important roadmap for building a fair and resilient city. By investing in renewable energy, efficiency and clean transportation, New York can become more affordable, while creating jobs and reducing pollution,” said Andrew Darrell, NY Regional Director, Environmental Defense Fund.

“OneNYC set out an important vision to help us build a strong and just city,” said Larisa Ortiz, OneNYC Advisory Board co-Chair and member of the City Planning Commission. “This progress report demonstrates that NYC continues to deliver on its bold commitments and I look forward to working with the City on the work ahead.”