Report - February 2011
Behind the CurbThis report finds that a disproportionate share of the city's recent job growth, transit ridership gains and population growth have occurred in the four boroughs outside of Manhattan, yet transit service in the boroughs has not kept pace-and the biggest losers have been the city's working poor. We argue that New York's bus system could step in and fill the gaps, but not without major improvements.
Report - February 2011
Pathway to ProsperityNew York's Career Pathways initiative represents a significant step forward for workforce development in the city; while there is room for improvement, it breaks ground by going beyond short-term job placements and focusing on getting low-income individuals the skills to obtain decent paying careers.
Data - January 2011
Data from Subsidizing Care, Supporting WorkSelected charts and graphs from the Center for an Urban Future's January 2011 report which found that the supply of subsidized child care in NYC has slipped in recent years even as affordable child care has become increasingly critical for low-income parents to get and hold jobs or complete a postsecondary degree.
Report - January 2011
Subsidizing Care, Supporting WorkThis report finds that the supply of subsidized child care in NYC has slipped in recent years even as affordable child care has become increasingly critical for low-income parents to get and hold jobs or complete a postsecondary degree.
Report - December 2010
A Chain ReactionOur third annual ranking of national retailers in NYC finds that despite the sluggish economy, the 280 national retailers listed in our 2009 report now have 4.1 percent more stores in the city than a year ago, with every borough registering a net increase in this period. Brooklyn had the largest net gain of any borough. And, for the third year running, Dunkin Donuts comes in as the national retailer with the most stores in the city.
Testimony - December 2010
Closing the College Achievement GapAt a December 14th New York State Assembly hearing on strengthening student success in higher education, CUF Senior Fellow Thomas Hilliard testified that policymakers should make student success a top state priority and restructure the way New York governs and finances its community colleges.
Report - October 2010
Time to be CreativeThis report argues that the sharp downturn in New York City's real estate market presents a unique opportunity to address the serious space needs of the city's artists, arts groups and creative entrepreneurs. It includes 17 recommendations for taking advantage of the downturn to strengthen New York's creative sector.
Report - September 2010
Breaking into the Corporate Supply ChainThis new report reveals that strikingly few small businesses become suppliers to the nation's largest corporations but argues that helping more of them make this leap could give small firms a much-needed boost and help spark an economic recovery.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2010
A High Line for HarlemThis commentary, by the Center's David Giles, calls on the Bloomberg administration to back a proposal to turn the empty space under the Metro North tracks in Harlem into a vibrant, mile-long market for hundreds of local entrepreneurs. It argues that the proposed market could do wonders for a neighborhood lacking in affordable retail space and a city struggling to retain independent businesses.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2010
A Bad Bet for New YorkIn this Off the CUF commentary, Hugh O'Neill argues that video slot machines won't be enough to save Aqueduct Race Track. Instead, he says it's time for state officials to consider a better use for 192 acres of public land next to one of the nation's busiest airports.
Report - June 2010
New Visions for New York Street FairsNew York City street fairs need a makeover. But just what should be done to improve these much-maligned staples of summer? This report features the visions of 25 architects, urbanists, artists, developers and other innovative thinkers, including the founders of successful public markets like the New York City Greenmarket, Union Square Holiday Market and Brooklyn Flea, as well as the creator of Chowhound.com, the organizer of Red Hook Food Vendors and musician David Byrne.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2010
Completing Coney’s ComebackIn this Off the CUF commentary, Jasper Goldman, David Gratt and Juan Rivero conclude that it will require more than just a new amusement operator to re-establish Coney Island as a thriving outdoor entertainment destination. The piece applauds the Bloomberg administration for recent steps taken to bolster Coney Island's amusement district, but calls on city officials to take a series of relatively minor actions over the next few months to address several of the entrenched problems that have long undermined the area's appeal.
Report - March 2010
An Action Agenda for ESOLThis concept paper written by the Center for an Urban Future and the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy includes eight recommendations for supporting and strengthening the state's English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. The action agenda, which was endorsed by an unusual coalition of the state's leading business groups, immigrant advocates, literacy providers and workforce training professionals, calls on New York policymakers to guarantee level funding for state-run ESOL programs even in this difficult fiscal environment. It argues that supporting ESOL programs is increasingly important to New York's economic competitiveness since immigrants represent the fastest-growing part of the workforce in nearly every corner of the state.
Report - February 2010
Energizing New York’s Small BusinessesThis report reveals that only a fraction of the city's small businesses have taken steps to become energy efficient, a missed opportunity given that commercial electricity costs here are among the highest in the country and since even the smallest firms could save thousands of dollars by implementing efficiency measures. We detail why so few companies have taken advantage of conservation programs and recommend how to get more firms to take the plunge.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2010
Making the Most of ManhattanvilleIn this Off the CUF commentary, David Hochman writes that the battle over eminent domain should not be the final word on Columbia's planned expansion into West Harlem, arguing that local officials should now work to ensure that the university's new campus triggers additional economic development for New York and the community.
Report - January 2010
Closing the Skills GapThis report, jointly published by CUF and the Community Service Society, finds that New York City faces a human capital crisis that could threaten the city's long-term economic competitiveness while relegating countless residents to low-wage jobs. It shows that an alarming number of New Yorkers now lack the skills and educational credentials to compete in today's economy and warns that the problem will only get worse in the years ahead. The report calls for a comprehensive campaign to develop the skills of New York's population.
Report - December 2009
Low-Wage JobsThis edition of New York by the Numbers reveals that nearly a third of all adult workers in New York City are employed in low-wage jobs. While the percentage of low-wage workers is high across the city, the Bronx is in a league of its own, with 42 percent of the borough's workers in low-wage jobs.
Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2009
Immigrant Entrepreneurism: An Engine for Economic RecoveryIn this essay for the new book What's Next for New York City's Economy, published by the Drum Major Institute, CUF's Jonathan Bowles argues that New York's economic development officials should look to immigrant entrepreneurs to provide a key spark to the city's economic recovery.
Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2009
Community Colleges as a Pathway out of PovertyIn this guest commentary to Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, CUF's David Jason Fischer stresses the importance of boosting community college persistence and graduation rates, and notes several promising strategies toward this goal.
Testimony - October 2009
Translating New York’s Science and Technology Assets Into Economic ActivityAt an October 9th hearing held by the Governors Task Force on Diversifying the New York State Economy through Industry-Higher Education Partnerships, CUFs Jonathan Bowles testified about how to make New Yorks pre-eminent scientific research institutions engines of entrepreneurship and economic growth.
