Case Records
Find a campaign by neighborhood, outcome, tactic, or source trail. Open a record for the full timeline, actors, claims, and documentation.
Gowanus Neighborhood Rezoning
The Gowanus case should be framed as a mixed case, not a simple loss or win. Anti-rezoning opponents failed to stop approval and lost their lawsuit, but justice-oriented coalitions appear to have helped lock in measurable public commitments, especially NYCHA repair funding and sewer/environmental conditions. The continuing dispute over Public Place/Gowanus Green makes this case central for the atlas because it shows how environmental risk, affordable housing, and public housing needs can collide.
Industry City / Sunset Park Rezoning Withdrawal
Industry City is a strong successful blocking campaign. The applicant withdrew after sustained community opposition and after the local Council Member said he would vote no. The case is especially useful because the campaign did not only say 'no'; groups like UPROSE and Protect Sunset Park advanced a green industrial waterfront vision as an alternative.
960 Franklin / Brooklyn Botanic Garden Fight for Sunlight
960 Franklin is one of the strongest successful anti-rezoning cases in the set. The campaign combined institutional capacity from Brooklyn Botanic Garden, grassroots organizing by MTOPP and residents, civic/technical analysis, and clear public-interest framing around sunlight, shadows, and irreversible harm to a public garden.
Lenox Terrace Expansion Rezoning
Lenox Terrace is a strong tenant/community blocking case. Tenant opposition, community board objections, borough-level opposition, and local Council dynamics converged to stop a major expansion. The atlas must also flag that the public visual record is weak and overly dominated by developer renderings.
Inwood Rezoning and Northern Manhattan Is Not For Sale Litigation
Inwood is a temporary legal win but final policy loss. Organizers won a lower-court annulment after raising displacement and environmental-review concerns, but the city won on appeal and the rezoning moved forward. This case is essential for explaining the limits of litigation as a final strategy.
Two Bridges Megatowers / Chinatown-Lower East Side Anti-Displacement Fight
Two Bridges is a mixed/unsuccessful final-block case with a strong procedural and community-planning strategy. Community groups won interim relief and created major public visibility, but appellate rulings reinstated approvals. The later community rezoning alternative is important because the campaign continued after the legal loss.
Bushwick Community Plan vs City Rezoning Proposal
Bushwick is a partial process win and policy ambiguity case. A community plan and disruptive organizing helped stall the city’s preferred rezoning path, but the community plan was not adopted wholesale. This is important for showing both the power and limits of community planning.
Southern Boulevard Rezoning Study Halt
Southern Boulevard is a successful pre-ULURP halt. Community opposition, coalition demands, displacement analysis, and local political resistance helped prevent a city-initiated rezoning from moving forward. This case helps correct Manhattan/Brooklyn skew and highlights Bronx organizing before formal certification.