Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg delivered his State of the City speech. We are heartened that some of the new policy proposals outlined in the mayor's speech—from expanding the number of Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools to creating permanent rehearsal and studio spaces for the arts—were greatly influenced by our reports.

In 2010, we published Time to be Creative, a report which urged the Bloomberg administration to begin addressing the longstanding space needs of the city's artists, arts organizations and creative entrepreneurs. Our report included 17 specific recommendations for taking advantage of real estate downturn to create more permanent and temporary spaces for the arts.

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said that his administration would launch 'Space Works,' a new nonprofit that will create long-term affordable rehearsal and studio space for artists citywide.