Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday will name Sideya Sherman as the director of the city Department of City Planning and chair of the City Planning Commission.
Sherman most recently served as the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice (formerly the Mayor’s Office of Equity) under Mayor Eric Adams.
She was previously the executive director of the Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity, which addressed the disproportionate impact the COVID-19 pandemic had within communities of color. Before that, she spent more than a decade at NYCHA and at the Municipal Art Society.
“During the course of my work, I certainly have learned that all neighborhoods are unique, but many of the challenges that communities face are similar because they’re systemic in nature — whether it’s lack of investment or the legacy of urban renewal or inadequate transit infrastructure,” Sherman told THE CITY.
“As I step into this role, I see it as an opportunity to really continue systems-level work, to also really champion and help advance the mayor’s focus on affordability and making sure that New York remains a city that’s diverse and that people can stay in and live in and thrive in,” she said.
The Department of City Planning oversees regulations about how land can be used and encourages growth and development of individual neighborhoods and the city as a whole.
Sherman said she sees land use as a tool to “make New York City more equitable” through creating more affordable housing and revitalizing commercial corridors.
In a statement, Mamdani praised Sherman’s experience in community engagement and economic development.
“Sideya Sherman understands that urban planning is about whether working people can afford to stay in the neighborhoods they call home,” he said. “I’m confident she will lead with a clear commitment to affordability, fair housing, and a city that works for everyday New Yorkers — not just the wealthy and well-connected.”
Under former Director Dan Garodnick, an Adams appointee, DCP led the charge to overhaul land use rules across the entire city for the first time in 60 years. The zoning changes, known as City of Yes, sought to allow for more housing development in every neighborhood, to make it easier to advance sustainable measures in the city and to update regulations for businesses.
DCP also oversaw neighborhood-specific rezonings of midtown Manhattan, Jamaica and Long Island City in Queens, Central Brooklyn’s Atlantic corridor and in the East Bronx.
Deputy Mayor for Housing Leila Bozorg said in a January interview with THE CITY that the administration was beginning to explore the “next phase” of rezoning proposals, with a focus on increasing affordable housing.
“We’ll be thinking both about citywide frameworks and strategies as well as specific neighborhoods where we can again be unlocking more housing without city subsidy,” she said.
