I haven’t been much interested in city planning and I know next to nothing about architecture, but this essay was fascinating and worthwhile (I did grow up in New York, though…) New

York to Architecture: Drop Dead! “A new proposal to overhaul the city’s

zoning laws is now forcing New Yorkers to confront these

fundamental questions. Titled the Uniform Bulk Program, the

proposal amounts to the architectural manifesto of the Giuliani

administration — a major statement on the most famous skyline

in the universe.” Three major provisions — a height limit on new buildings, a requirement that buildings extend out to the street (effectively reversing the mandate in previous zoning regulations that plazas and parks be included in development plans as a “trade” for height), and the establishment of a review board under the control of a political appointee — will “turn the city planning chairman into the design czar of New York, with sweeping powers to define the cityscape for years to come.” When does government regulation of architecture become akin to trampling on constitutionally guaranteed free expression?