Next New York mayor will be powerful but constrained

Significance

The city's next mayor must get office workers back into New York to protect its commercial tax base. Polling day for the Democratic primary, which will in effect choose the mayor of the most populous US city, is on June 22. The winner, who will take office in January, faces intertwined social and financial challenges.

Impacts

• The post-pandemic city landscape is likely to see fewer parking spaces and more areas dedicated to pedestrians.
• State and city government will do little to increase the pace of housing construction, so contributing to population decline.
• The city’s commercial property sector will remain depressed even as post-pandemic life resumes, reducing income.