STRENGTHENING ZONING REGULATIONS ON LAST-MILE WAREHOUSES

The document highlights how the lack of specific zoning definitions for last-mile warehouses in New York City allows developers to build facilities "as-of-right" in manufacturing and C8 districts without public input or environmental review. This has led to a concentration of warehouses in low-income, predominantly Black and Hispanic/Latinx neighborhoods, exacerbating air pollution from diesel trucks and increasing asthma rates. The Last Mile Coalition proposes a city-wide text amendment to require special permits, ensure setbacks from sensitive sites like schools and public housing, and mandate mitigation measures such as the use of electric vehicles or waterways.

• Last-mile warehouses have a greater negative impact on air quality, noise, and greenhouse gas emissions than traditional warehouses due to 24/7 operations, larger square footage, and higher truck trip volumes.
• Current New York City zoning laws allow last-mile warehouses to be built "as-of-right" in manufacturing and C8 commercial districts, meaning they can be constructed without environmental review or public input.
• Last-mile warehouses are disproportionately sited in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, specifically in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens, where an estimated 16.3 million square feet have been planned or developed.
• The concentration of warehouses in specific areas has led to severe health disparities; for example, in Red Hook, average PM 2.5 concentrations are nearly triple the New York City average, and in Hunts Point and Longwood, 9.7% of adults are diagnosed with asthma.
• The environmental burden is driven by diesel trucks, which make up 76% of U.S. commercial delivery trucks and emit high levels of NOx and PM 2.5; zero-emission trucks currently represent only 0.005% of medium and heavy-duty trucks.
• Employment in the transportation and warehousing sector is characterized by higher fatality and turnover rates compared to manufacturing, with Amazon reporting over 34,000 serious injuries in its warehouses in 2021.
• The proposed zoning amendment would require last-mile warehouses to obtain special permits, mandate setbacks from schools, parks, and public housing, and allow the City to require mitigation such as prioritizing electric vehicles or waterways.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). STRENGTHENING ZONING REGULATIONS ON LAST-MILE WAREHOUSES. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023_last_mile_fact_sheet_en_final_1_1.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. STRENGTHENING ZONING REGULATIONS ON LAST-MILE WAREHOUSES. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023_last_mile_fact_sheet_en_final_1_1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=STRENGTHENING ZONING REGULATIONS ON LAST-MILE WAREHOUSES |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023_last_mile_fact_sheet_en_final_1_1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendstrengthening, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{STRENGTHENING ZONING REGULATIONS ON LAST-MILE WAREHOUSES}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023_last_mile_fact_sheet_en_final_1_1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }