Innovative Ideas. Independent Policy.

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  Report - January 2022

  Reengaging Adult Learners to Complete College Degrees: Learning From Tennessee

  The second edition of Economic Opportunity Lab, CUF's series spotlighting innovative policies from other cities and states that are helping to create a more inclusive economy, profiles the Tennessee Reconnect program. The program could provide NYC with a framework to help thousands of adult learners earn a credential.
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  Report - January 2022

  Supporting CUNY’s 79,000 Part-Time Students

  Nearly 79,000 undergraduate students attend the City University of New York (CUNY) on a part-time basis, but although these part-time students cope with the same economic challenges as other CUNY students, they have long been effectively shut out of New York State’s tuition assistance programs. It is past time for New York’s policymakers to step up and adapt the state’s financial aid system to the needs of today’s students.
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  Data - December 2021

  State of the Chains, 2021

  Our fourteenth annual ranking of national retailers in New York City finds a slow rebound of chain stores across the five boroughs, following the most challenging year on record. This year chain stores broke a three-year streak of net losses, increasing locations by 2.7 percent. But this year’s bounce back—largely powered by the reopening of 260 stores that had shuttered in 2020—still leaves the city well short of pre-pandemic levels.
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  Report - December 2021

  Financing Economic Mobility: Adopting New Jersey’s Pay It Forward Model

  The first edition of Economic Opportunity Lab, CUF's new project spotlighting innovative policies from other cities and states that are helping to create a more inclusive economy and which have potential for replication in NYC, profiles New Jersey’s Pay It Forward program. The initiative, which creates a career impact bond, could provide a funding model for New York to scale up the most successful job training programs.
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  Report - December 2021

  No Small Relief: Strengthening NYC’s Most Vulnerable Small Businesses

  New York needs a long-term small business recovery plan that is squarely focused on boosting the smallest, most vulnerable businesses—one that supports them on the long recovery ahead and gives them the best chance of coming back even stronger. This blueprint lays out ten actionable policies that New York City and State can implement in the year ahead.
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  Report - November 2021

  Branches to Recovery: Tapping the Power of NYC’s Public Libraries to Rebuild a More Equitable City

  Libraries are already among the city’s largest and most trusted providers of programs and services aligned with New Yorkers’ greatest needs. With a clear citywide strategy and a new level of investment, their impact could be even greater.
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  Data - November 2021

  Expanding Registered Apprenticeships in NYC

  While New York State has made significant progress in expanding registered apprenticeships since 2018, New York City has seen little growth. With renewed support, the city has the opportunity to leverage this high-impact training model and make apprenticeships in high-growth industries like tech and healthcare a key component of an inclusive economic recovery.
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  Data - November 2021

  Before the Next Flood: NYC Needs More Progress Building Green Infrastructure

  While the city has made significant progress in ramping up the construction of green infrastructure, it has fallen short of state-mandated targets and struggled to finish construction on thousands of green infrastructure assets in a timely manner. The next administration needs to expand its goals and accelerate construction throughout the city.
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  Report - November 2021

  Making Rezoning Work

  This report—a joint effort between the Center for an Urban Future and JobsFirstNYC—demonstrates the need to integrate a comprehensive workforce development strategy into future rezonings and offers a blueprint for how to do so.
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  Report - July 2021

  RE:NEW YORK CITY

  250 Ideas from New Yorkers to Revive NYC's Economy, Spark Good Jobs, and Build a More Equitable City
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  Report - July 2021

  Creative Comeback: Surveying NYC’s Cultural Ecosystem in the Wake of COVID-19

  Drawing from a survey of 643 community-based arts organizations conducted by Americans for the Arts, this report offers new insights into the severe damage done by the pandemic to the city’s arts ecosystem. Despite the remarkable resilience of artists and organizations, city leaders, including the next mayor, will have to take further action to stabilize the city’s cultural ecosystem and strengthen it in the future.