Innovative Ideas. Independent Policy.

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  Impact - August 2025

  “The think tank quietly influencing NY’s top officials”

  On April 3, Crain's New York Business published an in-depth profile of the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), titled “The think tank quietly influencing New York’s top officials.” The article spotlights how CUF’s research has quietly but powerfully shaped policy initiatives and public investments over the years—from bolstering the tech and design sectors to increasing funding for libraries, supporting entrepreneurs, and expanding access to higher education.
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  Report - August 2025

  Closing New York State’s Computing Education Gaps

  New York is making big bets on AI and the tech economy, but the state is falling well behind other states in preparing students with the foundational computing skills needed to thrive in these industries. This report outlines three key actions for state leaders to accelerate computing education across public K–12 schools.
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  Report - July 2025

  Understanding and Overcoming the Bronx Digital Divide

  Consistent access to a computer and high-speed internet are essential to everyday life in New York, and in the Bronx, tens of thousands of residents remain cut off from these basic tools of modern life. Despite important investments in broadband infrastructure and digital skills programs, the gap has only grown wider between the Bronx and other boroughs in the areas of broadband affordability and adoption, device access, and digital literacy.
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  Report - May 2025

  Sustaining NYC’s Tech Edge

  New York City's tech sector used to be celebrated for adding a bit of much-needed diversification to the city’s finance-heavy economy. Now tech is the engine driving the city’s economy forward, and is New York’s largest and most dependable source of new middle- and high-wage jobs.
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  Report - April 2025

  Expanding Concession Opportunities in NYC’s Parks

  A modest expansion of parks concessions could provide a much-needed source of new dedicated revenue for New York's parks at a time when city funding has failed to keep pace with their growing maintenance needs. Today, there are surprisingly few restaurants, cafes, and other destination-worthy concessions in parks, but where they do exist, they invariably enhance the experience of parkgoers.
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  Report - March 2025

  5 Ideas for Retaining NYC’s Young Families

  New York’s enduring appeal to young adults remains one of the city’s greatest strengths—and in today’s talent-based economy, it presents a massive opportunity to set the city up for years of future economic success. But to fully capitalize on this opportunity, city policymakers need to take concrete steps to make sure New York can do far better in holding onto young people as they age into their thirties and start families.