New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has nominated five figures from business and public administration to the New York City Planning Commission. The influential body decides on the approval of major real estate and construction projects across the city. Kenneth Knuckles, Anthony Crowell, Margaret Anadu, Meenakshi Srinivasan, and Julie Stein have been proposed as new members.
The commission is chaired by Sideya Sherman, who succeeded Dan Garodnick in the role. In Srinivasan and Stein, the nominees include two prominent experts in New York municipal affairs. Srinivasan served under former mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams as chair of the heritage agency, the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Stein currently serves as Executive Director of the Union Square Partnership and previously worked in city administration under Michael Bloomberg.
Expertise across administration, law, and housing finance
The other nominees also bring extensive leadership experience within New York's urban landscape. Kenneth Knuckles is active as a business and civic representative from the Bronx and serves as President and CEO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. Anthony Crowell heads New York Law School as Dean and President, having advised Bloomberg for around ten years. Margaret Anadu, meanwhile, founded the investment firm One Weaver as CEO, focusing on financing affordable housing and workforce residential schemes.
- —Meenakshi Srinivasan, former chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission
- —Julie Stein, Executive Director of the Union Square Partnership with extensive municipal administration experience
- —Kenneth Knuckles, President and CEO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone
- —Anthony Crowell, Dean and President of New York Law School and longtime City Hall advisor
- —Margaret Anadu, founder and CEO of housing investment platform One Weaver
Focus on housing crisis and neighbourhood development
On the occasion of the nominations, Mayor Mamdani stated that the city needed a planning commission that understood the urgency of the prevailing housing crisis and was conscious of its responsibility in shaping local neighbourhoods. He added that the five candidates brought together decades of experience in public service, the housing sector, and urban planning.
The aim of the collaboration was to create the conditions for a dignified life for all New Yorkers, flanked by diverse housing options, stable neighbourhoods, efficient infrastructure, and accessible open spaces. The body plays a pivotal role, as major new-build and densification projects across the metropolis strictly require the approval of the City Planning Commission.
