Data - June 2015
Data from Creative New YorkCharts and tables from our 2015 Creative New York study. The report found that the creative sector is one of New York City’s most important economic assets but that the city’s working artists, nonprofit arts groups and for-profit creative firms face a growing number of challenges.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2015
What can cities do to nurture the arts & the creative sector?In an online essay for Zócalo Public Square, the Center’s Jonathan Bowles argues that the healthiest creative economies owe their success not to gilded performance halls, but to large and sustainable clusters of artists, musicians, dancers, designers, writers, and other creative professionals. He writes that cities wishing to bolster their creative economy should start by developing policies that attract and retain artists.
Data - June 2015
NYC Libraries by the NumbersDespite declining funds and limited hours of service, New York City’s public libraries are seeing a surge in users and uses. Below we show where the growth is happening and how funding cuts in recent years have affected performance, and provide the city’s first branch-by-branch accounting of book circulation, program attendance and visits.
impact - June 2015
Following CUF recommendation, Mayor de Blasio takes action to reduce infrastructure costsThe administration’s recent deal on public labor agreements implements a recommendation from our 2014 Caution Ahead report and will save the city over $347 million on construction projects.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2015
Make Commercial Spaces Affordable TooIn this City & State op-ed, CUF executive director Jonathan Bowles analyzes the growing demand for commercial spaces in New York. He argues that as Mayor de Blasio develops innovative proposals to address the city's affordable housing crisis, the administration should also move to unleash the potential of commercial spaces that have long gone vacant or underutilized.
Testimony - May 2015
Mayor de Blasio’s 10-Year Capital Plan: Ambitious But InsufficientAt a time when so much of the city’s essential infrastructure is in need of repair and expansion, funding for New York's infrastructure projects is critical. In a May 2015 testimony before the City’s Committee on Finance, CUF executive director Jonathan Bowles presents new ideas for capital funding streams.
