A licensed professional planner and an American Institute Certified Planner (AICP), Richard Bass helps clients navigate the regulatory and political landscapes of New York and New Jersey to guide complex rezoning, special permit, variance applications, and redevelopment plans. His practice focuses on land use, zoning, community and economic development, and political process matters on behalf of for-profit and not-for-profit clients. He has extensive experience with inclusionary housing regulations, transfer of development rights, landmarks issues, and various tax exemption programs. Valued by clients for his comprehensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of zoning and land use regulations, Richard creatively maximizes property entitlements and advises clients in transaction and redevelopment efforts.
Richard started his career in Jerusalem, planning new towns for the State of Israel. He served as the Planning Director of the Manhattan Borough President's Office (Ruth Messinger), the City of Jersey City, and the City of Coral Gables. Richard effectively represented 26 properties impacted by Phase I of the 2nd Avenue Subway Project by providing technical and political assistance and was involved with the #7 Train Expansion. He serves as an expert witness for eminent domain compensation trials involved with Hudson Yards, Atlantic Yards, and the Columbia University expansion. Richard has also successfully represented clients impacted by blight and redevelopment plans in Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City, Hudson County, and other New Jersey locations.
He was an Urban Planning Graduate School adjunct professor from 1991 to 2018, and has taught at Columbia University and Hunter College. In his role as an educator, his students produced a master plan for Bat Yam Israel, provided critical programmatic review of the 2nd Avenue Subway project to Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, and provided a frame work for Western Queens in order to take advantage of the Cornell/Techion development on Roosevelt Island. He is a frequent speaker concerning planning, development, and community empowerment.