CHAPTER I— INTRODUCTION 



June 2, 1916. 



To the Beard of Estimate and Apportionment: 



On May 22, 1914, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment adopted 

 the following resolution : 



" Whereas, Chapter 470 of the Laws of 1914, approved by the 

 Governor April 20, 1914, authorizes the Board of Estimate and 

 Apportionment to divide the City into districts and to regulate the 

 height of buildings, the area of courts and open spaces, the location of 

 trades and industries and the erection of buildings designed for 

 specified uses; and 



" Whereas, The statute provides that before establishing such 

 districts and adopting such regulations the said Board shall appoint a 

 commission 'to recommend the boundaries of districts and appropri- 

 ate regulations to be enforced therein' ; therefore be it 



" Resolved, That the Board of Estimate and Apportionment ap- 

 point a Commission on Building Districts and Restrictions of not less 

 than nine, nor more than nineteen members, serving without pay, if 

 not already in the employment of the City, to recommend the boun- 

 daries of districts and appropriate regulations to be enforced therein ; 

 and 



" Resolved, That the Committee on the City Plan of the Board 

 of Estimate and Apportionment, the chief engineer of the Board, the 

 presidents of the various boroughs and the various city departments 

 be requested to advise with the Commission, and to co-operate 

 actively with it in the preparation and study of the necessary data; 

 and 



" Resolved, That the secretary of the Committee on the City 

 Plan shall serve also as secretary of the Commission ; and 



" Resolved, That before reporting its recommendations the Com- 

 mission shall hold public hearings thereon." 



On June 26, 1914, the present Commission on Building Districts and 

 Restrictions was appointed pursuant to the above resolution. 



The work of the Districting Commission was preceded by the investi' 

 gations and report of the Heights of Buildings Commission. On February 

 27, 1913, the Board of Estimate adopted the following resolution: 



" Whereas, There is a growing sentiment in the community to 

 the effect that the time has come when effort should be made to 

 regulate the height, size and arrangement of buildings erected within 

 the limits of the City of New York; in order to arrest the seriously 

 increasing evil of the shutting off of light and air from other build- 



