Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2006
Q&A with NYC-based video game developer Eric ZimmermanNew York is a global creative hub, home to an unmatched number of creative people and scores of businesses in industries from film to advertising. But where does the city stand when it comes to the video game industry, one of the nations fastest growing creative fields? To find out, read the Centers latest Q&A, with Eric Zimmerman, CEO and co-founder of Tribeca-based Gamelab, the city's largest game development studio.
Report - November 2006
Lost in TranslationThis new report finds that while immigrants have become a growing part of the workforce in nearly every corner of New York State, the state-run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program has not come close to keeping pace with the demand, creating a skills gap that could hurt the state's economic competitiveness.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2006
The Many Faces of Poverty: Disconnected YouthCUF project director David Fischer weighs in on the recent report by the Mayor's Commission on Economic Opportunity with this short overview in Gotham Gazette about New York City's disconnected youth: who they are, what they need and why they are important to New York City's economic future.
Testimony - September 2006
From Disconnected to Career-DirectedAt the NYC Workforce Investment Board meeting on Sept. 13, CUF Project Director David Fischer made this presentation on aging worker replacement and career opportunities for disconnected youth in several vital sectors of the city's economy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2006
Q&A with Coney Island entrepreneur Dianna CarlinIn the Center's latest Q&A with business leaders and policy experts from around the five boroughs, CUF director Jonathan Bowles interviews Dianna Carlin, founder of Lola Staar, an eclectic boutique with locations on Coney Island's boardwalk and in the base of the Cyclone roller coaster. Read what Carlin has to say about the changes proposed for Coney Island and some of the surprising obstacles she's faced as an entrepreneur in the neighborhood.
Report - August 2006
Rethinking New York’s Street FairsIn this policy brief, the Center documents that city street fairs are dominated by a handful of the same vendors selling bland items like tube socks and t-shirts, and that a surprisingly high percentage of vendors are based outside of the city. It calls on the city to make the fairs less generic.
Testimony - June 2006
A New Workforce for New York: How the City Can Replace Thousands of Retiring Baby BoomersAt a City Council hearing prompted by the Center's May 2006 report, "Chance of a Lifetime," project director David Jason Fischer testified about what the city must do to prepare at-risk young New Yorkers for the world of work, and the value of a youth-focused workforce intermediary to rationalize and coordinate these efforts.
Report - June 2006
The Final FrontierIn this policy brief, the Center urges the Bloomberg administration to back proposals to redevelop two vacant government warehouses in Sunset Park that would create 2 million square feet of space for manufacturers at a time when industrial firms in NYC are feeling squeezed.
Report - May 2006
Chance of a LifetimeIn this report, the Center finds that the anticipated retirement of tens of thousands of Baby Boomers in the next few years will create an unprecedented opportunity for New York City to move significant numbers of young, at-risk New Yorkers into career-track jobs.
Testimony - April 2006
Immigrant Entrepreneurs’ Role in the Growth of Staten Island’s EconomyCUF director Jonathan Bowles argues that immigrant entrepreneurs could be a significant catalyst for economic growth on Staten Island in this speech, which he delivered on April 25 at the Staten Island Conference, sponsored by SIEDC.
Testimony - April 2006
The Limits of WIAIn testimony before a New York City Council hearing on April 11, CUF project director David Jason Fischer articulated how the severely limited funding and onerous legislative restrictions of the federal Workforce Investment Act have impaired efforts to serve New York City employers and jobseekers.
Testimony - April 2006
Beyond the Construction CommissionCUF Project Director David Jason Fischer testified at an April 4 City Council hearing on the work of the Mayor's Commission on Construction Opportunity, citing the Commission as a model for attaching young New Yorkers to career-track jobs in other key city industries.
Report - April 2006
Ready or NotThis new report focuses on the alarming number of young people who graduate from New York City public high schools unprepared to succeed in college, and provides a detailed examination of three college readiness programs run by CUNY and the city's public school system. The report concludes that a lack of institutional support from the city's top education officials may make it difficult to expand or improve upon these programs in the years ahead.
Report - March 2006
More Hard Times for New York’s Working FamiliesThis new report by the Center for an Urban Future and the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy reveals that the number of working poor families in the state has continued to rise in recent years.
Testimony - December 2005
New York State’s Welfare-to-Work ProgramsIn this written testimony submitted for a Dec. 15 hearing of the New York State Assembly's Social Services Committee, CUF Project Director David Fischer assesses an important recent shift in state welfare-to-work programs.
Report - December 2005
Creative New YorkThis groundbreaking report shows that New York's vast creative sector, from arts organizations to ad agencies, is one of the city's most important, and least understood, economic assets.
Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2005
What the Next Mayor Must DoIn this op-ed from the Nov. 9 Daily News, CUF director Jonathan Bowles highlights a number of important issues that Mayor Bloomberg will have to address in his second term. For a more detailed look at the most pressing issues facing the mayor, please check out "Framing the 2005 Mayoral Debate," a recent study issued by the Center for an Urban Future, the Regional Plan Association and the Center for New York City Affairs.
Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2005
Q&A with Irwin Cohen: Learning From Chelsea Market’s SuccessIn the Center's latest Q&A with NYC's leading economic development experts, CUF director Jonathan Bowles speaks with Chelsea Market developer Irwin Cohen about the role of food markets in economic development, the planned High Line development and the future of the Bronx Terminal Market.
Testimony - October 2005
A Workforce Vision for Continuing EducationCUF project director David Fischer recently spoke to the Continuing Education Association of New York about the increasing convergence of continuing ed programs within colleges and universities, and publicly funded and run workforce development systems.
Testimony - September 2005
Poverty in New York City, 2005CUF Project Director David Fischer testified at a Nov. 15 City Council hearing on the rising poverty rate in New York, focusing on the city's increasing "working poor problem."
