In December, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul released the recommendations of the "New" New York Panel. Three recommendations were directly inspired by the Center for an Urban Future’s research, including:

Modernizing Libraries to Support Citywide Remote Work

The mayor and governor proposed efforts to accelerate the modernization of libraries to support citywide remote work. These potential initiatives echoed high-level framing and several of the key recommendations in our November 2021 report, Branches To Recovery: Tapping the Power of NYC’s Public Libraries to Rebuild a More Equitable City. These include a core focus on supporting New York City’s growing independent workforce, as well as specific proposal to integrate libraries into the city's 10-year capital plan, create "a dedicated maintenance fund for state-of-good repairs," and extend "library hours to support off-hours needs." Check out our other major studies on libraries, including Re-Envisioning New York's Branch Libraries and Branches of Opportunity.

Reducing Employment Barriers for People With Disabilities

The mayor and governor proposed several new initiatives that would make it easier for New Yorkers with disabilities to enter the workforce, including recommendations to help employers create more accessible workplaces, embed trained accessibility counselors in workforce development organizations, and launch a new Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion. CUF’s research is cited throughout this section of the report and the proposals mirror several recommendations from our March 2022 report, Access Opportunity: Expanding Economic Opportunity for New Yorkers with Disabilities.

Creating Workforce Infrastructure to Connect New Yorkers with Good Jobs

The mayor and governor announced several initiatives intended to increase access to well-paying jobs through apprenticeships, paid internships, and industry-aligned career training. This series of recommendations draws extensively from CUF’s research, including our November 2022 report Harnessing CUNY as a Launchpad into Tech Careers. The state also proposes targeting New York City for a major expansion of apprenticeship programs in high-growth industries, which follows a series of CUF reports drawing attention to the enormous but largely untapped opportunity to expand apprenticeship programs in New York City beyond the building trades, including Expanding Apprenticeships in NYC and Expanding Tech Apprenticeships in New York City.