Insight - October 2019
The Creative Economy is a Key Source of Middle-Class JobsOn October 16th, the Center for an Urban Future hosted a policy symposium exploring how the creative industries have grown and become a key source of tens of thousands of middle-wage jobs. The expert panelists convened by CUF helped us identify key policy takeaways around what policymakers and other stakeholders can do to sustain the creative industries and ensure more New Yorkers from low-income backgrounds can access the good-paying jobs in the creative sector.
Testimony - October 2019
The Pivotal Impact of New York City’s Tourism EconomyIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Economic Development, CUF executive director Jonathan Bowles details the growing impact of tourism on the city’s economy and highlights the challenges to sustaining this key economic sector.
Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2019
Op-Ed: Securing the future of New York’s independent workersAcross the state, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are now working independently, subcontracting, or earning income in the gig economy. In this Times Union op-ed, CUF Editorial and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin and Winston C. Fisher argue that while the rise of independent work has clear benefits for New Yorkers and New York’s economy, it is also bringing a host of new challenges that could be addressed through a first-of-its-kind system of portable benefits.
Insight - September 2019
Statement on Mayor de Blasio’s proposal for a national robot taxOn September 6, Mayor de Blasio published an op-ed in "Wired" laying out his vision for a "robot tax." While we applaud the mayor's commitment to helping workers displaced in the transition to a more automated economy, what’s needed is a massive new investment in up-skilling and lifelong learning.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2019
Op-Ed: NYC, get ready for the robotsOur new op-ed in the Daily News makes the case for a bold new plan to prepare New York City's workforce for the coming wave of automation.
Report - August 2019
Caution Ahead: Five Years LaterIn this five-year update to our landmark report on New York City’s aging infrastructure, we find that the city has made record-level capital investments, but results have been mixed. Increased usage and new stresses from climate change make bringing the city's core infrastructure to a state of good repair all the more essential.
Insight - July 2019
Improving Career Outcomes for the City’s Foster Youth$10 million in New York City's 2020 fiscal budget will go towards providing the city’s roughly 8,400 foster youth with full-time life coaches from middle school through age 26, an important step to improving career outcomes for this vulnerable population. The Center for an Urban Future pointed out in our 2011 "Fostering Careers" report that an alarming share of young people who age out of the city’s foster care system are failing to obtain and hold on to jobs.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2019
Op-Ed: How libraries can help solve NYC’s next big Census problemOur new op-ed in the Gotham Gazette argues that New York City’s public libraries are uniquely positioned to help solve the city’s next big Census problem: the move to a digital Census.
Insight - July 2019
The Value of Non-Degree CredentialsCUF has previously urged CUNY to expand academic certificate programs as a way of helping more community college students get on the path to good-paying careers. A new national study bolsters the idea, finding that adults who earn certificates have higher lifetime earnings and employment levels than their peers with only a high school diploma.
Report - June 2019
Brooklyn’s Growing Innovation EconomyBrooklyn has emerged as one of the nation’s leaders in the innovation economy, driven by the borough’s growth in tech start-ups, creative companies, and next-generation manufacturers. This report provides a new level of data about the size and scope of Brooklyn’s innovation economy and highlights Brooklyn's competitive advantage in a part of the economy that is expected to grow significantly in the years ahead.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2019
NYC parks need more money, here’s how to raise itNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council should commit to increasing the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation budget by $100 million this year. But to make sure this investment is sustainable for the long-term, the city needs to get creative about alternative sources of revenue. In this City and State op-ed, CUF Editorial Director Eli Dvorkin lays out new ideas for generating funding for parks.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2019
OP-ED: The Opportunity Ahead for the New CUNY ChancellorNo institution is better positioned than CUNY to help lower-income and first generation students earn a postsecondary credential and get on the path to a successful career. In this Gotham Gazette op-ed, CUF Executive Director Jonathan Bowles and Winston C. Fisher argue that the incoming chancellor can seize this moment and help CUNY realize its potential as a launchpad into the middle class.
Event - April 2019
Rethinking Public Benefits for the Future of WorkOur forum examined what New York City policymakers can do to develop and implement the next generation of public benefits for the future of work, including portable benefits for independent contractors, lifetime training accounts to make upskilling affordable, new approaches to childcare and retirement, and other innovative programs designed to update the social safety net for the growing independent workforce.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2019
London Calling: New York Should Take a Cue from London Mayor’s Cultural Infrastructure PlanLast month, the mayor of London released the Cultural Infrastructure Plan, an initiative to address the growing affordability crisis facing the city’s artists and creators. With similar challenges threatening New York City’s artists and venues, city leaders and local officials should consider taking a page from London’s sketchbook.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2019
State must prepare for its aging futureThe number of seniors statewide has jumped significantly over the last decade. Governor Cuomo and state lawmakers have proposed an increase in funding for services that help older New Yorkers stay in their homes, but they should take new steps to support this growing population.
Testimony - March 2019
A Call to Increase Support for New York City’s Growing and Diverse Older Adult PopulationIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Aging, Christian González-Rivera, CUF's senior researcher, details the need for more support, matching the City's growing and diverse older adult population.
Testimony - March 2019
INVESTING IN PARKS TO BENEFIT NEW YORKERS FOR DECADES TO COMEIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Parks and Recreation, Eli Dvorkin, CUF’s editorial and policy director, shares new data and findings about the city's aging parks infrastructure and outlines recommendations that urge new investment in parks maintenance and operations while developing additional revenue sources and addressing the broken capital construction process.
Report - February 2019
New York’s Older Adult Population is Booming StatewideOver the past decade the number of New Yorkers ages 65 and over increased by 26 percent, making up a larger share of the state’s population than ever before. This data analysis provides a new level of detail about the aging of the population in cities and counties across New York State and finds that the aging population is not only driving population growth statewide, but is more diverse than ever before.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2019
15 Ideas for Expanding Economic Opportunity in New York in 2019New York's State Legislature has passed major new legislation in the first days of 2019, beginning the year on a high note. Now lawmakers have an opportunity to take similarly bold steps to reduce income inequality statewide to help thousands more New Yorkers build the skills and educational credentials needed to get ahead in today's economy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2019
Op-Ed: Seize the moment to fix NYC’s broken capital construction systemNew York City's capital construction process is plagued by delays and cost overruns—a longstanding challenge that DDC's new reform plan seeks to fix. But for these reforms to stick, every agency with a hand in the process will have to commit to the shared goal of improving project delivery.
