A few days ago, New York City’s Municipal Arts Society, which advocated for intelligent urban planning and design, released a list of 11 “initiatives and places that will have the most significant effect on livability in New York City in 2011.” New Yorkers won’t be surprised by the items on the list, many of which represent decades-old areas of concern, such as quality of life in the Bronx and the condition of public housing. But The MAS is also focused on quick-breaking urban change, from rapid development on the Far West Side to the imminent expansion of NYU. See the full list as well as relevant news and informationhere.

Here’s their list:

1. Moynihan Station & Hudson Yards
Continued progress on a world-class train hall for New York City will also spur the development of Manhattan’s Far West Side, which must be planned to integrate seamlessly with its surrounding community.

2. The Garment District
The District already is a jobs generator for the city, an ecosystem for the fashion industry and a haven for creative industries. Is there a vision for the future of the District that retains these vital functions?

3. Disaster Planning
As federal and city agencies are working to update disaster plans, will they be influenced by the lessons learned from the handling of Hurricane Katrina? MAS has been charged with helping build bridges between government and community resources to ensure coordination.

4. Public Housing
New York City has failed to integrate successfully public housing projects into their communities. The dated, isolated superblocks of public housing are a throwback to the 1961 Zoning Resolution, which must be revisited.

5. The Bronx
The 2010 MAS Survey on Livability indicated that residents of the Bronx were the most dissatisfied of all New Yorkers with their neighborhood services and safety. Will the city pay more attention to the borough in 2011?

6. Lower Manhattan
As we approach the tenth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, much work needs to be done to ensure that Lower Manhattan can be reestablished as a commercial, residential and cultural hub.

7. NYU Expansion
NYU wants to add six million square feet of campus space by 2031– half of it in Greenwich Village and half throughout the city. How NYU balances its needs with those of the communities they intend to inhabit will make or break its master plan.

8. Changing Streets
Bike lanes, bus rapid transit lanes, public plazas – all of these initiatives under the Bloomberg Administration are changing our streets and the public realm. What effect are they having on street life, local businesses, and overall quality of life?

9. PlaNYC 2.0
The next phase of the Mayor’s PlaNYC is scheduled for release on April 22. It is crucial that the updated PlaNYC promotes the positive environmental benefit of retaining and improving the efficiency of the city’s older buildings.

10. Waterfront
New Yorkers’ access to the harbor increased significantly over the last decade, but there still are too many communities cut off from the waterfront. Which area of the waterfront should receive the city’s priority attention?

11. Coney Island
As plans to revitalize the Coney Island as an amusement district continue, it is important that the historic elements of the community are retained in celebration of Coney’s storied history.