Regional Plan Association

08/20/2026

New York City released its draft Fair Housing Growth Strategy this week, estimating that the city needs 700,000 new homes over the next decade.

The plan is ambitious and achievable, but it won't be easy, Moses Gates told The New York Times. It'll need "really concerted political will, really smart ex*****on and a few lucky breaks," but it's what we need to make an affordable, equitable city.

Read more about the draft:

A draft report from the city estimates that 700,000 new units would need to be built over the next decade to accommodate the need for homes.

08/19/2026

NJ Transit fares went up 3% this year ... again.

That's why we're joining the NJ Fair Fares Coalition to advocate for a reduced fare program — low-income New Jerseyans deserve transit they can afford.

Read more:

By poverty measures, nearly 2 million New Jersey residents would qualify for the 50% reduction that New York City offers

08/17/2026

REMINDER: RPA is hiring for two roles:

🗺️ NJ Associate
🚃 Transportation Planner

Both roles, including instructions on how to apply, are on our website: https://rpa.org/about/join

08/14/2026

Yesterday, New York City Council voted to approve year-round outdoor dining in New York City — a huge win for businesses and diners alike.

Regional Plan Association has advocated for a permanent, predictable outdoor dining program for New York City since our work with the Alfresco NYC coalition during the pandemic. We're thrilled to see legislative changes that make these programs year-round!

Read the full statement on our website from New York Director Maulin Mehta: https://rpa.org/news/news-release/rpa-statement-on-year-round-dining-vote-by-new-york-city-council

08/13/2026

RPA is hiring a transportation planner!

We're looking for a candidate that will conduct research, analyze data, and help inform our policy recommendations for the region.

Learn more about the role and apply by 9/15: https://rpa.org/join/transportation-planner

08/11/2026

New York City has a housing crisis. We know that rental prices are going up, and that having the city step up to build affordable rental homes is part of the solution.

But what if New Yorkers wanted to own their homes — to feel stable and to build wealth? As we say in our latest report, "there are entire neighborhoods where this is next to impossible, not necessarily for affordability reasons, but because the inventory simply doesn’t exist."

RPA's latest report, "A Billion-Dollar Blueprint: Closing New York’s Affordable Homeownership Gap," explores New York City's low ownership rate, the challenges to ownership in New York, and possible supply-side solutions.

Read more: https://rpa.org/work/reports/housing-affordability-nyc

08/10/2026

RPA's Celebrate the Tri-State Benefit is October 15, 2026 — and we are excited to announce our honorees!

🏆 Our Above and Beyond Award, presented to a board member for outstanding service, will go to Matthew Kissner, CEO of Wiley, in recognition of his two decades of dedication to RPA's Board of Directors.

🏆 Our Making it Happen Award, given to outstanding public servants in our region, will be jointly presented to housing officials in all three states: David Kooris, Connecticut Municipal Development Authority; Jacquelyn Suarez, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs; and RuthAnne Visnauskus, New York State Homes & Community Renewal.

Join us in celebrating all of our honorees at our Celebrate the Tri-State Benefit on October 15 at Cipriani 25 Broadway! Tickets, sponsor info, and more on our honorees are all on our website: https://bit.ly/4xxShMW

08/07/2026

Wish you were here (in a future with a Meadowlands Sports Complex that brings together entertainment, recreation, and ecological preservation in a single destination with a unified sense of place)!

That’s a little too long for a postcard … so we’re calling it a vision for the future instead ;)

08/06/2026

Connecticut's bus system is antiquated and disconnected. It's an issue that goes beyond our transportation network — it affects our housing, our environment, and our economic opportunity.

A great "companion piece" to our recent "Homes on Track: Connecticut, Part II" report from CT Insider, featuring RPA's Pete Harrison ⬇️

Though Connecticut spends millions on bus services, many of the transit systems have different fares and governance.

08/05/2026

The Meadowlands were on the world stage as our region hosted the World Cup finals earlier this month. It was an opportunity to rethink a lot of things, like … why did we pave over the wetlands?

RPA’s latest report, “Destination Meadowlands 2050,” takes a look at the current Meadowlands Sports Complex (including MetLife Stadium) and imagines what a future Climate Park could look like — one that brings entertainment, recreation, and ecological preservation into a single destination with a clear sense of place.

Read our full report: https://bit.ly/3RjFP41