At one time a leader in environmental legislation, New York State now lags far behind the rest of the nation in brownfields remediation programs. As a result, thousands of acres of property sit idle while development drifts across state lines. In the five boroughs of New York City there are estimated to be as many as 5,000 brownfields sites, many of them located in waterfront neighborhoods. The absence of codified reuse programs has had a direct impact on the vitality of these neighborhoods, and on the entire city’s ability to remain competitive with neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut — both … Read more…

In recent years the problems of the nation’s educational system have become a primary concern of American voters and consequently of their elected officials. The concern is especially intense in large central cities, where there is an increasing consensus that economic inequality will persist as long as educational inequality does. A variety of reform proposals, from for-profit schools to school vouchers, have polarized educators and befuddled parents. Yet there has been relatively little effort made to improve the general social conditions in which inner-city students live, a factor on which educators themselves place major emphasis.

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Owning a home signifies middle class status and the achievement of the American Dream. Through the tax code, banking regulation and direct market intervention, public policies have long been designed to foster homeownership. Unfortunately, the benefits have accrued mostly to white Americans, while numerous obstacles have been thrown in the path of blacks and other minorities. In recent years, however, both public agencies and private financial institutions have attempted to redress racial disparities in homeownership.

Click here (pdf) to read more about racial disparities in homeownership and what agencies are doing to address them as well as a discussion on … Read more…