About

The Center for Urban Innovation pursues sensible, pragmatic approaches to urban development. Rising above the ideological debates that have gotten in the way of actually solving the many difficult problems facing cities, CUI focuses on the major trends that are driving urban growth all over the world. In an increasingly urbanized world, now is the time to understand and build on what makes great cities great and what impedes the others. Today's global economic challenges make identifying and adopting efficient, cost-effective solutions more vital than ever.

While CUI looks to and at cities worldwide for good ideas, its immediate focus is on the daunting issues facing the city and state of New York - working to present concrete, feasible public-policy solutions to build on New York's strengths and to promote its competitive success in the future.

Both the city and state are facing fiscal crises of critical proportions that are going to demand serious analytic attention, as all sectors - for-profit businesses, nonprofit development corporations, consulting firms, performing arts groups, museums, schools, not to mention freelancers and freelance-like organizations that constitute an increasing part of the economy - endure a business climate that includes high taxes, onerous regulations, and difficult work rules. CUI's immediate agenda for New York's competitiveness includes:

• London as model--assessing the successes of waterfront development, public transportation, council housing, etc. in a city of comparable size and status
• Property tax--reforming the structure of New York's property tax to remove long-standing inequities and increase transparency, fairness, and economic vitality
• Construction costs--reducing the costs of affordable housing construction while increasing jobs with strong wages and benefits by addressing antiquated work rules
• Rezoning the waterfront--continuing the search for underused, underserved, and underdeveloped property
• Public housing--building on the New York City Housing Authority's impressive assets and potential to finance affordable housing, as well as needed capital investment in its properties
• Environmental review--reforming New York City's process into a meaningful way to plan for necessary changes to municipal infrastructure and services
• Historic preservation and landmarking--allowing property owners to develop their entire space as efficiently as possible, while protecting the essential heritage of the city's built environment