I am after some information about building ration (plot ratio) in NY, as well as setbacks and heights, in middle and lower manhattan area. Could you please tell me, if there is a website that offers this, or if you know, kindly have the time to give me some hints on that.

• ID# 185.2 (reply to #185.1) - 3 December 2000
  The NYC City Dept of Planning has all the NYC zoning maps online. These provide the locations of different zoning districts and their boundaries -- you of course have to find their definitions, the NYC Zoning Handbook might be helpful.
  As for the setbacks, I think they are in some parts specifically regulated, but that mostly they follow the sky exposure plane of the chosen "envelope" (tower-on-plaza/tower-on-base/setback).
  Height restrictions were proposed in the (knocked-out) Unified Bulk Program, but AFAIK, only specific places, like the neighbourhood of the UN, pose such restrictions, with the limit of usable development rights and the setback rules restricting height effectively. ED