Untapped New York is excited to announce its media sponsorship of the 2012 Municipal Art Society Summit for New York City. Tell us about your neighborhood! What would you change? What do you think works?

My hometown of Houston, Texas is a bit odd. It lacks zoning ordinances and I think it works. It facilitates more walkable and dynamic neighborhoods.

The revitalization of Lincoln Center has really transformed Lincoln Square to be more walkable and one of the more accessible privately owned public spaces in NYC. I'm curious what will happen to the stretch of Amsterdam Avenue between 59th and 72nd, will any of the affects spill over?

The introduction of modern, organic delis and supermarkets has definitely upped the energy in East Harlem, but the distinct lack of a varied culinary/night life scene for 20-somethings is keeping us away on weeknights and weekends.

More space for less money brought new people & fresh ideas to Harlem beginning on 8th Ave, spreading over to Lenox/125th St areas. What works? People reaching out/starting up - barcrawl, restaurant crawl, artwalks, green markets/flea markets - n social networking it all treating area like small town/neighborhood (that it is)

I'm always surprised by the extraordinary vibrancy of my neighborhood on the border of the LES/Chinatown. 24-hour conveniences, cultural diversity, cheap eats, easily accessed transportation=a livable, vibrant, thriving community.

What I wonder is how the recently launched hotel/condo developments (ex Jarmulowsky Bank conversion & 86 Canal) will impact the neighborhood, specifically the rents...

@Alley: what do you think are the limits of cities that aren't zoned? As New Yorkers, we're kind of baffled by this concept so it's interesting to hear that there are areas where non-zoning works. What types of regulations are in place, if at all, regarding development in Houston?

@Luke: Do you think the lack of nightlife in East Harlem is a result of community board and neighborhood desires? Incentive for investment? What has worked there?

My neighborhood in Berlin, Germany will soon be riding the crest of gentrification's wave rolling down from Kreuzkölln (guardian.co.uk) to Neukölln below Hermannplatz, leaving hip cafés and boutiques, vegan eats and obscure shops and galleries in its wake.

Right now it's at its most diverse, in every aspect; the Turkish still dominate the shops and population, with the English-speaking expatriate crowd moving in and among themselves, and of course the ubiquitous Spanish checking out the nightlife. I have late shops, international delis, cheap eating places, public transportation, shops and parks within walking distance with an overall very affordable rent.

Berlin will only move downhill/upscale from here.

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Jake and Hazel seem to be describing similar issues in cities across the Atlantic. What do you think can be done to balance our development, while maintaining vibrancy and diversity?

New Haven, CT is great. We have awesome architecture, great shops, walkable streets, Yale, nightlife and some great restaurants which include the best Pizza in the world. We are easily accessible to NYC by Metro North railroad. The only problem is once you get their by mass transit, it can be a little hard to get around. Even locals have trouble navigating the bus system. It would be great if we could get a well designed bus system with clear maps or even better a light rail system. Has anybody else had trouble getting around New Haven when visiting?

I've definitely had issues. But try hard enough, you come across great spots in Yale. Wayfinding signs would really help the navigation and discovery of the city.

I am really entirely sure about the regulations in Houston regarding land development. However, I can say that Houstonians are baffled by cities that have zoning ordinances. Unless there are mixed-use developments, how are citizens suppose to access resources?

My neighborhood on the border of Morningside Heights and Harlem is an interesting transition between the Columbia community and Harlem residents. There are a couple of large housing projects just a few blocks away from me, and I always wonder what the people who live there think about the Columbia students.

I am a temporary resident in NYC. Live in Riverdale, Bronx. The apartment building is very much close to the West Side highway. When I go for a smoke outside, my eyes often wander at the cars, rather than the environment. A highway, cutting through a neighbourhood, easily distances everything around.