The City College of New York’s J. Max Bond Center for Urban Futures at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture received a $355,550 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for a project called “The Equitable Development Index,” according to a May 18 announcement.
The project aims to develop a data-driven tool that will support transparency, equity, and shared governance in New York City’s housing and land-use review process. This initiative comes as stakeholders across the city seek ways to address ongoing challenges related to affordable housing and equitable urban development.
Shawn Rickenbacker, director of the J. Max Bond Center and associate professor, is leading the project as principal investigator. Alden Copley, senior researcher at the center, and Lizzie MacWillie, assistant director, are co-principal investigators on this effort.
“Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, we are putting to use the untapped potential of existing citywide real estate development data and offering new civic infrastructure to help solve New York City’s housing and equity challenges,” said Rickenbacker. “By providing diverse stakeholders with a transparent, data-driven tool, we are demonstrating that urban crises have achievable solutions through common knowledge and interest. This initiative elevates the value of civic participation, transforming urban growth into a shared achievement. We invite those interested in the future of urban innovation to join our effort.” The Equitable Development Index (EDI) will use artificial intelligence tools such as Large Language Models (LLMs) alongside user-defined priorities to turn over ten years’ worth of fragmented public real estate development data into actionable information supporting more equitable outcomes for future projects in New York City.
Much of this fragmented information comes from Environmental Impact Statements required for developments seeking land use or zoning exceptions—documents that contain critical details about housing supply, density changes, economic impact but have historically been difficult for decision-makers outside technical circles to access or interpret effectively. By synthesizing these documents along with community input profiles using EDI technology, local boards and agencies will be able to evaluate proposed developments based on affordability trade-offs and other community priorities rather than anecdotal evidence alone.
“As New York looks to remove obstacles to building more affordable housing, a public-facing, data-driven tool like EDI is primed to have significant impact,” said Joshua M. Greenberg, program director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “At the same time, the Bond Center’s community-centered approach also aligns with the Sloan Foundation’s history of supporting efforts to democratize data access to inform local decision-making.”
According to its description in project materials provided by CCNY officials on May 18th , this shift toward accessible analysis is intended not only reduce procedural inefficiencies but also encourage broader civic engagement in shaping how neighborhoods grow.
