A New Mapping Tool Lets NYC Residents Peek Into Developers' Plans

The formula is simple enough: First, determine the floor-area ratio (FAR), that is, the total building floor area permitted on a lot. Then, multiply that FAR by the square footage of the lot. Then, factor in any applicable transferable development rights (TDRs), meaning unused air rights conferred from another development. Add these figures up, and what you get is change.

The Municipal Art Society of New York has developed a new tool that shows where development could bring the most change across the city's five boroughs. This resource is a continuation of the group's "Accidental Skyline" initiative, an effort to curb the "as-of-right" development (which allows developers to bypass some regulatory hurdles) that has resulted in some of New York's tallest and skinniest new skyscrapers.