The Urban Development Corporation (doing business as the Empire State Development Corporation) is a public authority of the state of New York in the United States. It supports various kinds of commercial and noncommercial urban development. It can exercise powers of eminent domain but, as a public authority rather than an agency, it is exempt from many of the restrictions that apply to regular government agencies. New York State public benefit corporations and authorities operate like quasi-private corporations, generally with boards appointed by elected officials. ... State nickname: The Empire State Official languages None. ... Urban, city, or town planning, deals with design of the built environment from the municipal and metropolitan perspective. ... Eminent domain (US), compulsory purchase (Great Britain, New Zealand), compulsory acquisition (Australia) or expropriation (Canada, South Africa) in common law legal systems is the power of the state to appropriate private property for its own use without the owners consent. ...