All topics / Infrastructure and Sustainability
Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction first opened its doors in July 1996, consolidating a capital construction process that had previously been split among separate divisions in other City agencies, to become the City's primary capital construction project manager. DDC builds and renovates civic facilities such as firehouses, libraries, courthouses, and senior centers, and delivers roadway, sewer, and water-main infrastructure in all five boroughs; since its founding it has completed more than 5,000 projects with a combined portfolio value of $34 billion.
What's working
- How many construction-related injuries are there?: 18 injuries — decreasing, though based on a small number of incidents each year
- What percent of completed designs early/on time — Infrastructure?: 88% — right at target
- What percent of completed construction early/on time — Infrastructure?: 94% — beats target by 12%
- and 3 more below
What's getting worse
- What percent of completed designs early/on time — Public buildings?: 82% — misses target by 6%
- What percent of active designs — Early/on time?: 86% — misses target by 2%
Critical indicators
With a numeric target
What percent of completed designs early/on time — Infrastructure?
88%Right at target
What percent of completed designs early/on time — Infrastructure?
88%Right at target
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 93% | 88% |
| FY23 | 91% | 88% |
| FY24 | 98% | 88% |
| FY25 | 88% | 88% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 88% |
88% in FY25 — met the City's own target for this indicator (right at the target), though it has trended in the wrong direction over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia
What percent of completed construction early/on time — Infrastructure?
94%Beats target by 12%
What percent of completed construction early/on time — Infrastructure?
94%Beats target by 12%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 90% | 82% |
| FY23 | 87% | 82% |
| FY24 | 92% | 82% |
| FY25 | 94% | 82% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 82% |
94% in FY25 — met the City's own target for this indicator (12% above the 82% target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia
What percent of completed designs early/on time — Public buildings?
82%Misses target by 6%
What percent of completed designs early/on time — Public buildings?
82%Misses target by 6%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 77% | 88% |
| FY23 | 71% | 88% |
| FY24 | 83% | 88% |
| FY25 | 82% | 88% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 88% |
82% in FY25 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (6% below the 88% target), though it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia
What percent of completed construction early/on time — Public buildings?
86%Beats target by 4%
What percent of completed construction early/on time — Public buildings?
86%Beats target by 4%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 70% | 82% |
| FY23 | 65% | 82% |
| FY24 | 86% | 82% |
| FY25 | 86% | 82% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 82% |
86% in FY25 — met the City's own target for this indicator (4% above the 82% target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia
What percent of active construction — Early/on time?
88%Beats target by 6%
What percent of active construction — Early/on time?
88%Beats target by 6%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 79% | 82% |
| FY23 | 73% | 82% |
| FY24 | 91% | 82% |
| FY25 | 88% | 82% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 82% |
88% in FY25 — met the City's own target for this indicator (6% above the 82% target), and it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia
What percent of active designs — Early/on time?
86%Misses target by 2%
What percent of active designs — Early/on time?
86%Misses target by 2%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 75% | 88% |
| FY23 | 71% | 88% |
| FY24 | 89% | 88% |
| FY25 | 86% | 88% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 88% |
86% in FY25 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (2% below the 88% target), though it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia
What percent of construction cost variance?
0.7%Beats target by 14.3%
What percent of construction cost variance?
0.7%Beats target by 14.3%
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | Not available | Not available |
| FY23 | Not available | Not available |
| FY24 | Not available | Not available |
| FY25 | 0.7% | 15% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 15% |
0.7% in FY25 — met the City's own target for this indicator (14.3% below the 15% target).
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia
Without a numeric target
How many construction-related fatalities are there?
0 fatalities
How many construction-related fatalities are there?
0 fatalities
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 0 fatalities |
| FY23 | 0 fatalities |
| FY24 | 2 fatalities |
| FY25 | 0 fatalities |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
0 fatalities in FY25 — has no numeric target set by the City, and it has stayed essentially flat over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia
How many construction-related injuries are there?
18 injuries — decreasing, though based on a small number of incidents each year
How many construction-related injuries are there?
18 injuries — decreasing, though based on a small number of incidents each year
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 24 injuries |
| FY23 | 12 injuries |
| FY24 | 27 injuries |
| FY25 | 18 injuries |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
DDC's own reporting attributes the FY24 jump in construction-related injuries (12 to 27) to large-scale, multi-employer active sites in its coastal-resiliency and Borough-Based Jails programs, where multiple contractors working simultaneously increase exposure to hazards. The agency says it responded with a Safety Compliance Order and additional safety training, and injuries fell back to 18 in FY25. Note that these are small annual counts, so year-to-year swings can also partly reflect normal variation at that scale.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC Department of Design and Construction, Fiscal 2024 Mayor's Management Report
Why this is tracked
The Department of Design and Construction opened in July 1996 to unify what had been fragmented construction functions: the Department of Transportation's street work, the Department of Environmental Protection's water main and sewer construction, and the Department of General Services' building program covering police, fire, sanitation, correctional, library and cultural facilities. By becoming the City's primary capital construction manager, DDC freed other agencies to focus on delivering their core services rather than running their own construction divisions.
DDC Feature: Building New York City Since 1996, New York City Department of Design and Construction - Wikipedia