Report - December 2025
NYC’s Safety Net on the BrinkThis report finds that the federal actions taken over the past year—from the massive cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to an array of executive orders—present the biggest threat in a generation to NYC's social service nonprofits and the millions of New Yorkers who rely on them.
Testimony - November 2025
Boosting Graduation Rates for Underrepresented New Yorkers Across CUNYIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Higher Education, Senior Data & Policy Researcher Rachel Neches lays out the current disparities in college attainment in New York City and recommends three strategies to ensure that more New Yorkers persist and succeed in obtaining a college credential.
Report - October 2025
Preparing Every NYC Student for an AI-Powered FutureAs AI reshapes New York's economy, city leaders will need to prepare more young New Yorkers for an AI-powered workforce. To accomplish this, the city will need to train thousands of future teachers to integrate digital and computational literacy into their curriculum.
Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2025
NYC tech education in today’s AI ageIn this NY Daily News op-ed, Eli Dvorkin and Loris Toribio urge policymakers to seize a generational opportunity and ensure that the city leads the nation in preparing every teacher and student for success in the age of AI. To achieve this--and expand pathways into tech careers for underrepresented New Yorkers--the city can build on its landmark Computer Science for All initiative and scale-up CUNY's Computing Integrated Teacher Education initiative.
Report - September 2025
Sustaining Long Island’s Creative SparkFew factors have contributed more to Long Island’s economic vitality over the past decade than growth of its vibrant arts and culture sector. Local and state policymakers should address the challenges Long Island's artists and arts organizations face, in order to strengthen communities, retain young people and families, and support local businesses.
Report - August 2025
The Park Queens DeservesFlushing Meadows Corona Park is arguably New York City’s most underappreciated important park, even though it is the city's fourth most visited park and the only available expansive green space for hundreds of thousands of Queens residents. The Center for an Urban Future shares 20 ideas for realizing the park's full potential.
Report - August 2025
The Emerging Financial Security Crisis Facing Long Island’s Older AdultsLong Island is now home to more older adults than ever, but new data reveals that an alarming number these older Long Islanders are struggling with serious financial insecurity challenges.
Report - August 2025
Closing New York State’s Computing Education GapsNew York is making big bets on AI and the tech economy, but the state is falling well behind other states in preparing students with the foundational computing skills needed to thrive in these industries. This report outlines three key actions for state leaders to accelerate computing education across public K–12 schools.
Report - July 2025
5 Ideas to Advance Economic Mobility in NYC Amid Harmful Federal PoliciesThe first half of 2025 has brought an unprecedented wave of federal attacks on anti-poverty programs—threatening the safety net that millions of New Yorkers rely on and undercutting the city’s efforts to expand economic mobility. This report offers five actionable policy ideas for how New York City can lead in this environment, as a part of CUF's second annual NYC Economic Opportunity Summit.
Report - July 2025
Understanding and Overcoming the Bronx Digital DivideConsistent access to a computer and high-speed internet are essential to everyday life in New York, and in the Bronx, tens of thousands of residents remain cut off from these basic tools of modern life. Despite important investments in broadband infrastructure and digital skills programs, the gap has only grown wider between the Bronx and other boroughs in the areas of broadband affordability and adoption, device access, and digital literacy.
Testimony - May 2025
Getting Creative About Raising Revenue for NYC Parks in Times of Fiscal UncertaintyIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Parks and Recreation, Senior Fellow for Climate and Opportunity John Surico urges NYC to adopt several innovative ideas to generate dedicated new revenues for parks in order to address funding shortfalls, and deliver the healthy, vibrant parks and open spaces that New Yorkers need now, and for decades to come.
Data - May 2025
The Emerging Financial Security Crisis Facing NYC’s Older AdultsA growing number of older New Yorkers are facing a financial security crisis, with poverty on the rise, retirement income out of reach, and stark racial and borough-level disparities compounding the challenge. This new analysis reveals the scope of the crisis and urges action to support the city’s rapidly aging population.
Testimony - May 2025
NYC needs to address the alarming rise in poverty among older adultsIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Aging, Data Researcher Rachel Neches reveals a deeply troubling reality about the financial security crisis facing New York City's older adults, including a 41 percent increase in the number of older New Yorkers living in poverty.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2025
More Jobs for the NYC Green EconomyIn this NY Daily News op-ed, Jonathan Bowles and Eli Dvorkin make the case that the green economy may be the best chance in a generation to create far more well-paying career opportunities, and that New York must undertake a full court press to implement key initiatives already underway—including Local Law 97, swiftly deploying an NYC Green Building Fund, and putting CUNY students to work creating a greener university.
Report - May 2025
Sustaining NYC’s Tech EdgeNew York City's tech sector used to be celebrated for adding a bit of much-needed diversification to the city’s finance-heavy economy. Now tech is the engine driving the city’s economy forward, and is New York’s largest and most dependable source of new middle- and high-wage jobs.
Testimony - April 2025
Knocking Down Nontuition Financial Barriers to College Access and Success at CUNYIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Higher Education, Editorial and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin sets forth what is needed to ensure that more New Yorkers re-enroll in college and finish their degrees, including launching initiatives like CUNY Fresh Start and CUNY Flex.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2025
NYC Is losing young families; here’s how to keep themIn this amNY op-ed, Eli Dvorkin and Winston Fisher argue that keeping young families in New York City is essential to New York’s short-term economic outlook and long-term strength, and make the case for three ideas to make the city more affordable and appealing for families.
Report - April 2025
Expanding Concession Opportunities in NYC’s ParksA modest expansion of parks concessions could provide a much-needed source of new dedicated revenue for New York's parks at a time when city funding has failed to keep pace with their growing maintenance needs. Today, there are surprisingly few restaurants, cafes, and other destination-worthy concessions in parks, but where they do exist, they invariably enhance the experience of parkgoers.
Report - March 2025
5 Ideas for Retaining NYC’s Young FamiliesNew York’s enduring appeal to young adults remains one of the city’s greatest strengths—and in today’s talent-based economy, it presents a massive opportunity to set the city up for years of future economic success. But to fully capitalize on this opportunity, city policymakers need to take concrete steps to make sure New York can do far better in holding onto young people as they age into their thirties and start families.
Report - March 2025
New York City’s Green Economy OpportunityA flourishing green economy may be the best chance in a generation to expand access to well-paying career opportunities, especially for New Yorkers of color and individuals from low-income communities. While there has been job growth in several parts of the green economy in recent years, our research suggests that New York City’s green economy is not yet close to fully charged.
