impact - December 2025
“The think tank quietly influencing NY’s top officials”Crain's New York Business recently published this in-depth profile of the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), titled “The think tank quietly influencing New York’s top officials.” The article noted that “CUF has hit its stride in recent years, managing to catch the attention of powerful city officials with its brand of pragmatic, hyper-specific ideas for improving economic mobility.”
impact - July 2025
CUF Directly Inspires Launch of SUNY ReconnectFollowing CUF’s call to action, Governor Hochul announced the statewide launch of SUNY Reconnect—modeled on the successful CUNY Reconnect initiative—to help working-age New Yorkers return to college and earn degrees in high-demand fields.
impact - March 2025
CUF inspires City Council proposals to bolster minority businesses & support CUNY’s adult learnersDuring her 2025 State of the City address, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced four new policies directly inspired to boost support for the city's minority-owned businesses and adult learners at CUNY.
impact - February 2025
CUF Report Influences Allocation of State Funds to Decarbonize CUNY and SUNY CampusesGovernor Hochul announced $150 million from the 2022 Environmental Bond Act to decarbonize CUNY and SUNY campuses—an action spurred by CUF’s April 2024 report spotlighting CUNY’s aging infrastructure and urging the state to leverage these funds.
impact - January 2025
CUNY Creates New Initiative for Transfer Students, Echoing CUF RecommendationCUNY recently launched the CUNY Transfer Initiative to create a more seamless and less costly transfer process for students moving within the college system—echoing CUF’s recent research calling for strategic investments to improve student transfer outcomes.
impact - January 2025
CUF Research Inspires City Council Hearing on Pathways into the Creative EconomyCUF’s research on the underrepresentation of New Yorkers of color in the creative economy prompted a City Council oversight hearing, where Data Researcher Rachel Neches outlined the challenge and proposed an innovative solution.
impact - January 2025
CUF Catalyzes New Investment in CUNY ACEGovernor Hochul’s FY 2026 budget proposal includes $20 million to expand CUNY ACE and ASAP—college success programs that have been largely city-funded until now. This state investment reflects CUF’s research urging greater state support to scale these proven initiatives boosting graduation rates.
impact - September 2024
CUF Research Helps Spark New Online Funding Marketplace to Expand Reach of CDFIsNYC’s new Funds Finder platform, which has already disbursed $1 million in affordable capital, delivers on CUF’s 2022 call for a single tool to connect under resourced entrepreneurs with mission-driven lenders like CDFIs.
impact - September 2024
CUF called for a new university. Now one is coming.Earlier this year, the Center for an Urban Future argued that establishing a new top-flight undergraduate university in New York City should be a key part of efforts to keep the city competitive in the emerging post-pandemic economy. We were excited by Vanderbilt University’s announcement that it is planning to open a new campus in Chelsea—and thrilled to hear from university officials that our research contributed to their decision to expand.
impact - September 2024
CUF Sparks ESOL Investment in LibrariesNew York City’s public libraries received a $4 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation that will in part support English language and literacy programs for the asylum seeker population. Our recent report called for an increased investment in ESOL programs to prepare asylum seekers to enter the city’s workforce.
impact - July 2024
CUF Influences New York City’s FY2025 BudgetNew York City adopted its FY2025 budget, which includes includes several restorations and investments inspired by the Center for an Urban Future’s recent research and recommendations, including restoration of CUNY's budget and funding for key opportunity programs, establishing a human services-focused fellowship, restoring funding for adult literacy programs, including ESOL, and bolstering the capacity of CDFIs.
impact - June 2024
CUF report inspires City Council hearing on improving outcomes for CUNY transfer studentsA recent CUF report on improving outcomes for CUNY’s transfer students directly inspired a City Council hearing held by the Committee on Higher Education. CUF Editorial and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin provided lead testimony, recommending new and baseline investments in CUNY’s transfer student initiatives.
impact - May 2024
CUF research sparks state policy changes to tuition assistance program (TAP)The state's FY 2025 budget formally authorizes the expansion of the tuition assistance program (TAP) to part-time students, which CUF has recommended for more than a decade. The state also increased income thresholds for TAP, which the Center has recommended in several publications over the years.
impact - April 2024
CUF Inspires Key Proposals in City Council’s FY2025 Budget ResponseIn April, the City Council released its FY2025 budget response. Several of the Council's proposals align with recent research and recommendations from the Center for an Urban Future, including investments in CUNY Reconnect and CUNY ACE, training teachers in computing education, increasing support for underresourced entrepreneurs, and bolstering adult literacy and older adult services.
impact - April 2024
CUF report inspires major new state investment in the artsNew York State's FY 2025 budget includes a $40 million increase in grantmaking funds for the New York State Council on the Arts and implementation of three new arts-and-culture programs. CUF's report on the creative economy in upstate New York put forward the very same proposals.
impact - March 2024
CUF’s research influences new workforce RFI to support New Yorkers with disabilitiesThe Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity announced a Request for Information (RFI) for a new initiative to “co-design and pilot new workforce development programs for New Yorkers with disabilities." This initiative was significantly influenced by the Center for an Urban Future’s research and various publications on New Yorkers with disabilities.
impact - March 2024
Council Speaker Proposes to Redevelop Libraries Into Affordable Housing, Echoing CUF RecommendationDuring her 2024 State of the City address, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced that the City Council is committing to an initiative to develop affordable housing on existing library branches, mirroring CUF's recommendations across a series of publications.
impact - December 2023
CUF sparks the expansion of CUNY 2X TechMayor Adams announced $10 million in funding to expand CUNY 2X Tech to five new campuses at the City University of New York. A pair of reports published by CUF called to expand this critically important program in order to boost CUNY’s effectiveness as a springboard into technology-powered careers.
impact - June 2023
DOT Expands Micromobility to Queens, Echoing CUF RecommendationsThe city’s Department of Transportation announced that the successful e-scooter sharing program piloted in the Bronx will expand to eastern Queens. CUF's recent commentary on expanding micromobility in all five boroughs called for the expansion of the Bronx e-scooter pilot to less transit-rich neighborhoods in Queens.
impact - May 2023
CUF Sparks Start-up Competition for NYCHA EntrepreneursA report CUF published outlining the need for more support for entrepreneurs living in NYCHA has inspired a new start-up competition explicitly for public housing residents. Additionally, CUF's report influenced nine major proposals from the Council Speaker and a bill recently introduced by the City Council to support NYCHA entrepreneurs.
