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The Center for an Urban Future is a New York City-based think tank that fuses journalistic reporting techniques with traditional policy analysis to produce in-depth reports and workable policy solutions on the critical issues facing our cities.
Latest Reports & Publications Recent CUF Reports
Affordable Housing Gaps in High Cost Urban Areas
By Center for an Urban Future
As the nation’s housing and lending crisis began to unfurl in 2007, banking, government and housing experts convened for a groundbreaking conference sponsored by the Office of Thrift Supervision and Citi to discuss the future of affordable housing in NYC. This white paper details the ideas discussed.
 --> 3/26/2008  PDF Version

Q&A with Matthew Goldstein, chancellor of CUNY
By Center for an Urban Future
As part of our series of Q&A’s with New York City innovators, entrepreneurs and policy experts, the Center’s Jonathan Bowles interviews Matthew Goldstein about CUNY’s recent accomplishments, the university’s role in the city’s changing economy and Governor Spitzer’s new higher education initiatives.
 --> 2/25/2008

Q&A with Cathie Mahon, head of the city’s Office of Financial Empowerment
By Center for an Urban Future
As part of our series of Q&A’s with New York City innovators, entrepreneurs and policy experts, the Center’s Jonathan Bowles interviews Cathie Mahon about Mayor Bloomberg’s new anti-poverty initiatives and what her office is doing to help low income New Yorkers open banking accounts, build savings and avoid costly fees for basic financial transactions.
 --> 2/24/2008

Q&A with Blake Walters Foote, head of NYC’s Workforce Investment Board
By Center for an Urban Future
As part of our series of Q&A’s with New York City innovators, entrepreneurs and policy experts, the Center’s David Fischer sits down with Blake Walters Foote to discuss the WIB’s priorities and the future of workforce development in New York.
 --> 2/23/2008

Something To Build On
By David Jason Fischer
The Mayor’s Commission on Construction Opportunity has produced promising early results in bringing women and non-whites into the city’s construction workforce. But will the changes prove lasting, or merely cosmetic?
 --> 2/4/2008  PDF Version

Measuring the Success of Workforce Development Programs
By David Jason Fischer
Appearing before a City Council hearing, CUF project director David Fischer testified that the problems of New York’s workforce programs—grossly inadequate funding, statutory limitations and too-modest ambition—are properly laid on Washington, DC doorsteps.
 --> 1/31/2008  PDF Version

Recapturing Suburban Shoppers: By Offering Items That Aren’t Available at Malls and Big-box Stores, Ethnic Retail Strips from Jackson Heights to Richmond Hill are Attracting Hordes of Suburban Shoppers—and Boosting the City’s Economy
November 2007

A Bumpy Ride: Cultural Trolleys Hold Great Promise In Raising the Profile of Arts Institutions Outside of Manhattan—-but Infrequent Service and Limited Marketing Keeps Most Routes From Boosting Attendance at Local Venues
August 2007

Engineering A Tech Sector: NYU’s Proposed Merger With Polytechnic University Would Give It An Engineering Program For the First Time In Decades—-It Could Also Help New York City Develop A More Robust High-Tech Sector
August 2007

Branching Out: While Overshadowed By Other Initiatives, the Recent Decision to Restore Six Day A Week Library Service is a Huge Victory for New York and Will Help Boost the Competitiveness of the City’s Workforce
August 2007

Work In Progress: Four Years After Mayor Bloomberg Moved to Remake Workforce Development in New York City, Much Has Been Accomplished -- and Even More Remains To Be Done
June 2007

Summer Help: New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program Gives Thousands of City Teens A Leg Up in the Job Market. But Limited Resources Keep Thousands More Who Want Summer Jobs on the Outside Looking In
June 2007

Staten Island 2020: New York’s Fastest-Growing Borough Faces Serious Economic and Infrastructure Problems, But With Better Planning and a Strategy to Build Upon Longstanding Assets, Staten Island Can Meet These Challenges and Reach New Heights
April 2007

A World of Opportunity: Immigrant Entrepreneurs Have Emerged as Key Engines of Growth for Cities from New York to Los Angeles -- and With A Little Planning and Support, They Could Provide an Even Bigger Economic Boost In the Future
February 2007

A Thousand Cuts: Now More Than Ever, New York Needs a Strong Workforce Development System—But Declining Funds and Uncoordinated Programs Are Obstacles to Progress
February 2007

Lost In Translation: Cities In Nearly Every Corner of New York State Have Been Experiencing a Sharp Rise in Immigrants, But State-Run ESOL Programs Aren't Keeping Pace With the Growing Demand
November 2006



Forums & Transcripts
Harnessing Brooklyn's Creative Capital: The Impact of Self-Employed Creative Professionals on the Borough's Economy
The full transcript from the Center and BEDC's March 5 forum which examined the size and scope of the self-employed creative sector in Brooklyn, the unique challenges facing these professionals and public and private sector strategies for supporting this part of the borough's economy. Panelists included Scott Adkins, Pauline Barfield, Sara Horowitz, and Michael Kelly. --> 4/28/2008 PDF Version

Transcript of Developing New York's New Workforce Conference
The full transcript from the conference the Center co-sponsored with the Business Council of New York State and SCAA, where business leaders, literacy experts and state officials agreed that expanding English-language instruction is increasingly important for the state’s economic competitiveness. Panelists included Manuel Rivera, NYS Deputy Secretary for Education; Kenneth Adams, president/CEO of The Business Council of New York State; and Chung-Wha Hong of The New York Immigration Coalition --> 11/27/2007 PDF Version