Sign Up For Our Email Bulletin:
	Search:
	-Policy Areas- Economic Dev Workforce Dev Albany Account Child Welfare NYC, Inc. Education Social Policy   -Specific Areas- Arts & Culture Aviation Biotech City/St Budget Comm Dev Corp Retention Crim Just CUNY High Tech HIV/AIDS Housing Job Training Labor Manfacturng Nonprofits Planning Pub Health Real Estate Dev Sector Dev Telecom Transport Welfare
Reports & Publications
Forums & Transcripts
About the Center
CUF in the News
Email Bulletins
Post a Job
Support the Center

The Research Center is your source for links and documents on dozens of topics important to you. Check this page frequently for our latest postings. Search by topic, keyword or organization to find scores of useful reports, sites and source documents on urban policy, politics and planning. Contact us about dead links.
Search the Research Center:   Search Topics:  Topics- Activism Arts & Culture Aviation Biotechnology Budget Business Child Welfare City/State Budget Community Development Corporate Retention Criminal Justice Culture CUNY Education Energy Environment Healthcare High Tech HIV/AIDS Homelessness Housing Hunger Immigration Job Training Labor Law Lending Manufacturing Media Mental Health Nonprofits NYC Neighborhoods Planning Policy Politics Poverty Privatization Public Health Public Space Real Estate Dev Sector Development Social Services Technology Telecommunications Training Transportation Welfare Women/LGBT Youth
Research Material	Latest Links
Excerpts from the State of the State What the governor had to say about job-killing taxes and savings without layoffs--and what he didn't say about the city. [1/9] straight to document> Recent Legislation Helps States Focus on Finding Permanent Homes for Children, but Long-Standing Barriers Remain Adoptions from foster care are up 57 percent since the Adoption and Safe Families Act was enacted in 1997, but its unclear how much credit to give to this fast-tracking federal law. straight to document> Successful Community Organizing for School Reform This report outlines how local input can improve public schools—from pressuring the system for needed resources and curriculum changes to working hand-in-hand with educators to have parents involved in their children’s education. straight to document> Kids Count: Census Data Online If you’ve braved the government’s baffling Census website, this easy-to-use accumulation of data--focusing particularly on children--is a welcome alternative. straight to document> Analysis of Participation Rate Policy Options Bush's welfare proposal calls for states to find work by 2007 for about 33 percent more recipients than they currently handle. The House's version is even tougher. straight to document> A Citizen's Guide to Using Federal Environmental Laws to Secure Environmental Justice Buried within a handful of federal environmental laws are a trove of useful tools, and this report is your treasure map. From funding to databases to citizen input, this detailed guide spells out the options for activists. straight to document> The Evolving Role of Information Technology in Community Development Organizations Community development organizations may be wired, but they’re not using information technology to help improve their neighborhoods. Focus and expense are the big hurdles, according to this survey of groups around the country. straight to document> The Role of Education and Training in Welfare Reform A look at programs to help welfare recipients around the country shows that participants are best served when they are offered either work-focused training or job-placement, depending on their circumstances. straight to document> The Rise of the e-Citizen Of the 68 million American adults who have used government agency websites this year, 62 percent have sought out information on public policy issues and 19 percent used the Internet as part of a concerted lobbying campaign. straight to document> Left Behind in the Labor Market: Recent Employment Trends Among Young Black Men Barely half of young black men with a high school education or less are employed, and the numbers show that more than demographic trends are to blame. straight to document> The Effect of Education on Crime: Evidence from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and Self-Reports This report gives solid evidence that increasing schooling reduces crime, especially murder, assault and motor vehicle theft. straight to document> How Are Immigrants Faring After Welfare Reform? This is an extensive report on how New York City and Los Angeles' immigrant are doing. Not so well. About a third of immigrant families in Los Angeles and NYC are 100 percent below the poverty level, twice as many as among the general population. straight to document>	Speaking of Energy... Renewable energy advocates have long noted that it would lessen the burden on an overloaded power grid. In our March 2003 issue, Mary-Powel Thomas explored our renewable options. Check out her piece, a sidebar offering places to get more info on the issue, and a host of previous City Limits articles on New York's energy policies. Just search the Topic box on the homepage by "Energy." [8/19] Or see home at http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/articleView.cfm?articlenumber=947  Job Shop The New York City Employment & Training Coalition's site doubles as a job training resource center, most notably allowing visitors to search a database of training programs sorted by borough and population served. [6/17] Or see home at http://www.nycetc.org/default.htm   Moving Ideas Network News, research and advocacy from over 120 organizations. Or see home at http://www.movingideas.org/  Local Money Breakdowns For those who just can't get enough budget info, the Rockefeller Institute has created a portal to financial data for state and local governments. In addition to news and reports on state finances, which you can get via listserve, the site's packed with spreadsheets offering financial data for each state. [5/27] Or see home at http://www.rockinst.org/  Who's in the Lobby New York's lobbying commission maintains a searchable database of lobbyists working Albany's halls of power. You can browse by issue area, or look up specific companies or specific bill numbers. You can even search by income or expense, to see who's making the most or spending the most to move an agenda. [4/11] Or see home at https://www.nytscol.org/  Where Tax Credits Meet Social Services The Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement has developed a flier to help folks figure out how their Earned Income Tax Credits will, and will not, impact their access to social services ranging from Medicaid to rental assistance. Clients can print the flier out and keep it on hand to make sure case workers understand the rules clearly too. [4/8] Or see home at http://www.wceca.org/  Economic Development Alerts The National Congress for Community Economic Development does a thorough job of reporting on the latest from Capitol Hill or anywhere else housing or economic development policy is being hammered out. On the homepage, choose "Public Policy" from the menu on the left to see the latest Action Alerts. Or choose any of the other options for info on everything from funding sources to faith-based initiatives. Or see home at http://www.ncced.org/index.html  Federal Facts Last year, only Texas had more students enrolled in Head Start than New York. There were 5,344 work-related fatalities in the United States in 2000. The rate of violent crimes committed by juveniles has returned to the level of 1988 (about 300 arrests per 10,000), after a rise that peaked at 41 percent higher in 1994. The federal government keeps track of an amazingly large amount of data, and this page has a alphabetical listing of hundreds of topics, from Adoption to Women-owned businesses. The site's homepage has even more options, including maps and international comparisons. Or see home at http://www.fedstats.gov/  Predatory Lending Primer New York's Better Business Bureau has created this simple guide on predatory lending for consumers, which explains everything from subprime loans to eight common loan scams. Or see home at http://www.newyork.bbb.org/index.html  Juveniles in Jail Arrests for juvenile crime in NYC may be down (28 percent lower than in 1994), but the average daily population of youth in detention increased 32 percent from 1996 to 2000. This page from the Correctional Association of New York includes a dozen or so of such illuminating basic facts about juvenile crime and punishment. Or see home at http://www.correctionalassociation.org/index.html  Write Clearly, Be Understood Before you write another grant proposal or report, visit the Jargon Files, which contain advice on writing more clearly, a list of overused nonprofit catchphrases, and--best of all--both books Tony Proscio. Our very own E.B. White, Proscio persuasively argues that overused jargon undercuts any point you want to make, all the while offering caustic deconstruction of faddish terms, like “faith-based:” “Are [synagogues, churches and mosques] content to have it said that they are merely based on faith—perhaps the way that Velveeta is based on cheese—and not aflame with the genuine article?" Or see home at http://www.emcf.org/  Research Done Right The publications page of the think tank Public/Private Ventures offers a virtual library of well-written, thoughtful reports: How some local nonprofits partner with community colleges to help low-income residents into a new career. A study of churches, temples and mosques that work with at-risk youth. Hard questions about how the quest for accountability affects nonprofits. For new ideas and smart analysis--especially about youth, education or economic development--take a look at this often-updated list of research. Or see home at http://www.ppv.org/index.html

Contact the Center for an Urban Future 120 Wall Street, 20th floor, New York, NY 10005 Phone (212) 479-3341 Fax (212) 479-3338 © 2008, City Futures, Inc. | Privacy Policy Photos: Josh Zuckerman.