Innovative Ideas. Independent Policy.

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  Report - April 2025

  Expanding Concession Opportunities in NYC’s Parks

  A modest expansion of parks concessions could provide a much-needed source of new dedicated revenue for New York's parks at a time when city funding has failed to keep pace with their growing maintenance needs. Today, there are surprisingly few restaurants, cafes, and other destination-worthy concessions in parks, but where they do exist, they invariably enhance the experience of parkgoers.
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  Report - March 2025

  5 Ideas for Retaining NYC’s Young Families

  New York’s enduring appeal to young adults remains one of the city’s greatest strengths—and in today’s talent-based economy, it presents a massive opportunity to set the city up for years of future economic success. But to fully capitalize on this opportunity, city policymakers need to take concrete steps to make sure New York can do far better in holding onto young people as they age into their thirties and start families.
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  Report - March 2025

  New York City’s Green Economy Opportunity

  A flourishing green economy may be the best chance in a generation to expand access to well-paying career opportunities, especially for New Yorkers of color and individuals from low-income communities. While there has been job growth in several parts of the green economy in recent years, our research suggests that New York City’s green economy is not yet close to fully charged.
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  Report - February 2025

  The Emerging Financial Security Crisis Facing Older Adults Across New York State

  Over the past decade, the number of older New Yorkers living in poverty has surged nearly 50 percent, nearly half of the state’s older adults report having no retirement income, and hundreds of thousands lack access to Social Security benefits. This report examines the alarming financial challenges facing New York’s rapidly growing older population and outlines urgent policy solutions to address this crisis.
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  Report - January 2025

  Enacting a Ticket Surcharge to Strengthen New York City’s Parks

  New York City’s parks badly need an infusion of funds—and a more reliable mechanism for paying for their growing maintenance needs. One option worth considering is implementing a modest surcharge on tickets sold at the city’s major stadiums, arenas, and concert venues, with the revenue dedicated exclusively to park maintenance. The report concludes that several actions are needed to implement this.
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  Report - December 2024

  State of the Chains, 2024

  Our seventeenth annual ranking of over 450 national retailers in New York City finds a 1.3 percent decrease in chain stores across the five boroughs over the past year. While a wide range of retailers have been closing stores, the nation’s largest retailers are struggling the most.
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  Report - November 2024

  Helping NYC’s Low-Income Adult Learners Succeed at CUNY

  Nearly one-quarter of all degree-seeking undergraduate students at CUNY are over age 25, but too many of these adult learners never get to the college finish line. This report makes the case for new city and state supports that are specifically tailored to the needs of adult learners, ensuring that far more of these students succeed in earning a credential.
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  Data - November 2024

  It’s Time to Launch SUNY Reconnect

  New York State is home to 1.5 million working age adults who have already earned some college credits but have not completed a degree. State policymakers should launch an initiative, SUNY Reconnect, that can help adults in every corner of the state to re-enroll at SUNY, complete their degrees, and boost their chances at economic mobility.
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  Report - November 2024

  Maximizing NYC’s AI Opportunity

  To build a stronger economy for the long term, New York will need to capture a significant share of the growth expected in a range of emerging tech fields—with none more important than artificial intelligence. The Center for an Urban Future (CUF) proposes five policy ideas for how New York City can seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow NYC's AI economy and help tackle some of New York’s biggest challenges.