we are advancing the future of cities & housing, education & employment, energy & environment, and government innovation.
THE FUTURE OF CITIES & HOUSING
Address affordability by building more housing.
Cities will absorb nearly all of the world's population growth in the near term, with nearly five billion people — about 60% of the world's population — expected to live in cities by 2030. While urban centers continue to be drivers of innovation and economic growth, challenges around shifting labor habits, housing, climate change, migration, and strains on public sector finances risk disrupting the quality of life.
Limited housing has driven the median rent in New York City to nearly $4,000 in 2024 — an increase of 15% in two years. Today, nearly 50% of New Yorkers spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The city needs to add between 500,000-800,000 new units in the next decade.
From investments in new buildings, transportation, and infrastructure to sustainable development, resource management, crime, and crisis response, leaders in New York will need to embrace cross-sector collaboration to unlock the full potential of The Future of Cities & Housing.
priorities
Find: Develop a public map identifying communities with development opportunities, and use the map to generate awareness and support
Fund: Expand the Housing Acceleration Fund to leverage public funds to unlock blended capital for new construction, conversions, and renovations
Build: Streamline permitting in the city with a Buildings Acceleration Team and finance prefabricated house manufacturing in upstate
THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT
Expand economic opportunity by improving education and workforce development.
As artificial intelligence and automation transform the workforce, The Future of Education & Employment will be even more interconnected, blurring traditional boundaries between academic pursuits and workforce development.
At a time when educational attainment is ever more critical for adaptability, only half of children in New York State are proficient in reading. In New York City, the figure is even less, with about 40% of kids proficient in math or reading despite spending more than $35,000 per student – double the national average.
To adequately equip students and lifelong learners, educational institutions at all levels will need to foster creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence while providing opportunities for continuous reskilling and upskilling throughout one's academic and professional career. Investments and reforms in early childhood and primary education are vital to providing high-quality education to families across socio-economic backgrounds. Higher education must embrace an industrial policy and evolve beyond the traditional four-year degree model, offering more flexible, modular learning pathways that allow students to stack credentials over time while working and training for areas with worker shortages, effectively democratizing access to education, enhancing social mobility, and ushering in employment opportunities.
priorities
Redirect resources following shifts in student populations in New York City to high-need communities, high-performing schools, and childcare pilot programs
Embrace an industrial policy for higher education in SUNY and CUNY that provides financial incentives to pursue fields with anticipated labor shortages
Scale workforce development and lifelong learning models, including new forms of financing for training and apprenticeships
THE FUTURE OF ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Accelerate growth by investing in energy, tech, and infrastructure.
The Future of Energy & Environment will be defined by an unprecedented investment in the green transition to a more sustainable world. Investments will scale the rapid adoption of renewable energy, smart grids, power storage, and low-carbon modes of transportation.
New York has a goal to achieve 70% renewable electricity by 2030, but currently relies heavily on natural gas, with only 27% of energy coming from renewables. When it comes to electric vehicle adoption, it trails other leading states by wide margins.
Leaders must make bold investments to keep climate commitments, scale innovations, and expand clean energy capacity for data centers, transportation, and housing. Communities must also recognize and reward the economic value of ecosystem services and biodiversity, unlocking vast resources to protect and restore nature across New York. With climate change and natural disasters already threatening food and water supplies and physical infrastructure, leaders must invest more in adaptation, including effective resource management, regenerative farming practices, circular systems, and resilient infrastructure.
priorities
Build a Technology, Energy, Research, & Robotics Accelerator (TERRA) in upstate to unlock investment and development of renewable energy and data centers
Advance Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs for building retrofits to create jobs and improve energy efficiency
THE FUTURE OF democracy & government
Improve government by increasing civic engagement and efficiency.
The Future of Democracy & Government will be shaped by how effectively the public sector modernizes its institutions to rebuild trust, increase civic participation, and deliver better services at lower cost. In New York, rising expectations for transparency, accessibility, and accountability demand bold reform and adoption of new tools to strengthen democracy and improve public sector performance.
Civic engagement remains low, with only a small fraction of eligible voters casting ballots local elections. Closed primaries and outdated voting systems continue to exclude large swaths of the electorate. To reinvigorate democracy and encourage voter participation, New York should embrace innovations like mobile voting and open primaries.
At the same time, the state and city face mounting budget pressures and public dissatisfaction with service delivery—from housing permits to benefits processing. By adopting modern technologies, digitizing workflows, and responsibly deploying artificial intelligence, government can cut costs, increase responsiveness, and improve outcomes.
