Innovative Ideas. Independent Policy.

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  Impact - October 2025

  “The think tank quietly influencing NY’s top officials”

  Crain's New York Business recently published this in-depth profile of the Center for an Urban Future (CUF), titled “The think tank quietly influencing New York’s top officials.” The article noted that “CUF has hit its stride in recent years, managing to catch the attention of powerful city officials with its brand of pragmatic, hyper-specific ideas for improving economic mobility.”
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  Report - October 2025

  Preparing Every NYC Student for an AI-Powered Future

  As AI reshapes New York's economy, city leaders will need to prepare more young New Yorkers for an AI-powered workforce. To accomplish this, the city will need to train thousands of future teachers to integrate digital and computational literacy into their curriculum.
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  Report - September 2025

  Sustaining Long Island’s Creative Spark

  Few factors have contributed more to Long Island’s economic vitality over the past decade than growth of its vibrant arts and culture sector. Local and state policymakers should address the challenges Long Island's artists and arts organizations face, in order to strengthen communities, retain young people and families, and support local businesses.
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  Report - August 2025

  The Park Queens Deserves

  Flushing Meadows Corona Park is arguably New York City’s most underappreciated important park, even though it is the city's fourth most visited park and the only available expansive green space for hundreds of thousands of Queens residents. The Center for an Urban Future shares 20 ideas for realizing the park's full potential.
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  Report - August 2025

  Closing New York State’s Computing Education Gaps

  New York is making big bets on AI and the tech economy, but the state is falling well behind other states in preparing students with the foundational computing skills needed to thrive in these industries. This report outlines three key actions for state leaders to accelerate computing education across public K–12 schools.
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  Report - July 2025

  5 Ideas to Advance Economic Mobility in NYC Amid Harmful Federal Policies

  The first half of 2025 has brought an unprecedented wave of federal attacks on anti-poverty programs—threatening the safety net that millions of New Yorkers rely on and undercutting the city’s efforts to expand economic mobility. This report offers five actionable policy ideas for how New York City can lead in this environment, as a part of CUF's second annual NYC Economic Opportunity Summit.