No Envelopes, New Cities is the development and implementation of a new performance based set of zoning regulations for New York City. The existing zoning system consists of stringent, prescriptive regulations that lend themselves to a certain building typology and limit architects' creativity. After examining the intent of the law rather than the letter, we established a system for measuring a building's impact on a neighborhood. By testing it against existing regulations, we were able to design better and smarter than the existing laws allowed.