I don't think that everyone agrees on that in NYC, especially not the City Council or any of the people in local government with the power to change it. Much of

I don't think that everyone agrees on that in NYC, especially not the City Council or any of the people in local government with the power to change it. Much of the city is still single-family housing or multiple occupancy dwellings typically capped at 4 stories (or 2.0 FAR) that could stand to be much taller, and of the multiple dwelling units, the politicians only care about the rent-regulated tenants, that are their permanent constituency to which they grant favors in an endless cycle of pandering and vote buying (see also: the recent 0% regulated rent raises). Other people like myself commute endless hours on the subway or PATH under buildings that are ludicrously low that could otherwise house many more if rebuilt, when special interest groups like GVSHP oppose anything that would upset their fragile conception of what the city should be. I don't see this changing anytime soon. The City Council just voted 45-0 against rezoning an Inwood project that would have allowed for 3 measly more stories of housing on a building that can as of right have 14 stories. God forbid if we actually have to build real amounts of housing, preferably non-subsidized. As a NYC resident and market-rate renter, I'm sick and tired of paying for everyone else's rent when they will not lift a finger to help alleviate my burden.