Innovative Ideas. Independent Policy.

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  Report - September 2026

  Unlocking Public-Private Partnerships to Help Support and Strengthen NYC’s Parks

  New York City has an extraordinary parks partnership ecosystem, but outdated rules and uneven policies limit their impact, especially in under-resourced communities. This report offers five ideas to unlock greater community, private, philanthropic, and institutional support for parks that need it most.
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  Report - August 2026

  Strengthening CUNY’s Computer Science Faculty to Prepare Students for NYC’s Changing Tech Economy

  Computer science enrollment at CUNY has more than doubled over the past decade, but faculty capacity has not kept pace. To bolster this vital pathway to the middle class, policymakers should help CUNY recruit and retain enough faculty with applied expertise and industry experience to equip students with the skills and experiences employers increasingly demand.
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  Report - August 2026

  Harnessing NYC’s Natural Areas

  New York City’s 12,000 acres of natural areas can improve public health, strengthen communities, and build climate resilience, yet remain overlooked and underused. Our research suggests that realizing more of that potential may depend on continued investment in staffing and maintenance, stronger awareness and wayfinding, and new approaches to programming, partnerships, and long-term funding.
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  Report - July 2026

  5 Ideas to Advance Economic Mobility in NYC

  The Mamdani administration and City Council have taken promising steps to ease the affordability crisis squeezing New Yorkers. But making the city truly affordable will require more than lowering the cost of living. This report presents five actionable ideas to raise incomes and build wealth, developed for CUF’s third annual NYC Economic Mobility Summit.
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  Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2026

  Closing NYC’s Street Safety Gaps in the Communities Most at Risk

  New York City traffic deaths are at a record low, but street safety progress remains deeply uneven. This report finds that lower-income communities of color continue to face disproportionate danger—and that many have yet to benefit from the full toolkit of proven street safety improvements