Centers and Institutes

During the late 19th and early 20th Century, American business experimented with many kinds of relationships between the company and its employees. Ironically, the boldest attempts at improving the lives of workers were often followed by the most bitter labor disputes. Marc Hodak of NYU Stern will discuss several of these experiments, including Pullman, Vandergrift, and Hershey, to illustrate the lessons learned by the would-be reformers, and how they might inform the CSR movement today.

Over the last 50 years, New York City has pioneered the use of transfer of development rights (TDRs) to achieve planning and urban design goals, examples include landmark transfers, large-scale development provisions and Special District mechanisms like the High Line and the Grand Central and Theater Subdistricts. As the real estate market continues its ascent, and as calls to create or restrict TDR programs proliferate, what can we learn from the past to guide the use of TDRs in the

future? The Department of City Planning (DCP) has received several proposals to create new TDR mechanisms in order to unlock floor area, generate revenue for public benefits or achieve other planning objectives. They have also heard calls from various quarters to reform existing mechanisms in order to facilitate their use or to subject them to greater public oversight. These varying viewpoints are represented on the panels at the conference.

Over the last 50 years, New York City has pioneered the use of transfer of development rights (TDRs) to achieve planning and urban design goals, examples include landmark transfers, large-scale development provisions and Special District mechanisms like the High Line and the Grand Central and Theater Subdistricts. As the real estate market continues its ascent, and as calls to create or restrict TDR programs proliferate, what can we learn from the past to guide the use of TDRs in the

future? The Department of City Planning (DCP) has received several proposals to create new TDR mechanisms in order to unlock floor area, generate revenue for public benefits or achieve other planning objectives. They have also heard calls from various quarters to reform existing mechanisms in order to facilitate their use or to subject them to greater public oversight. These varying viewpoints are represented on the panels at the conference.

As described by Mayor de Blasio, New York City has a crisis of housing affordability that touches everyone from the bottom of the economic ladder all the way up to the middle class. In his recent State of the City address, the mayor emphasized the urgency of creating and preserving affordable housing for the stability and growth of families and the preservation of neighborhoods -- essential components of a healthy and fair city. The administration’s housing plan when realized will allow all New Yorkers access to the city’s great promise and immense opportunities. In furthering his commitment to a more equitable city, the Mayor has laid out an unprecedented 10-year plan to build or preserve 200,000 affordable apartments across all five boroughs. The plan represents the most expansive and ambitious affordable housing agenda in the country with a potential investment of $41 billion over the 10-year period, surpassing the affordable housing agenda under Mayor Bloomberg.br /br /

This program will include two opening speakers from the administration – a keynote and a featured presentation – who will address key components of the housing plan, and the city’s changing demographics, respectively. The latter will cover population growth, an overall aging of the population, and the continuing trend toward smaller household sizes. A panel of housing and policy experts from the public and private sectors will discuss the housing response to these trends, the shape of the plan, and critical issues that must be addressed in order to achieve its ambitious goals. Critical issues will cover the appropriate balance between preservation and new construction, affordability income targets, and major implementation challenges including the proposal for shifting from an incentive based model to a mandatory inclusionary housing approach.

As described by Mayor de Blasio, New York City has a crisis of housing affordability that touches everyone from the bottom of the economic ladder all the way up to the middle class. In his recent State of the City address, the mayor emphasized the urgency of creating and preserving affordable housing for the stability and growth of families and the preservation of neighborhoods -- essential components of a healthy and fair city. The administration’s housing plan when realized will allow all New Yorkers access to the city’s great promise and immense opportunities. In furthering his commitment to a more equitable city, the Mayor has laid out an unprecedented 10-year plan to build or preserve 200,000 affordable apartments across all five boroughs. The plan represents the most expansive and ambitious affordable housing agenda in the country with a potential investment of $41 billion over the 10-year period, surpassing the affordable housing agenda under Mayor Bloomberg.br /br /

This program will include two opening speakers from the administration – a keynote and a featured presentation – who will address key components of the housing plan, and the city’s changing demographics, respectively. The latter will cover population growth, an overall aging of the population, and the continuing trend toward smaller household sizes. A panel of housing and policy experts from the public and private sectors will discuss the housing response to these trends, the shape of the plan, and critical issues that must be addressed in order to achieve its ambitious goals. Critical issues will cover the appropriate balance between preservation and new construction, affordability income targets, and major implementation challenges including the proposal for shifting from an incentive based model to a mandatory inclusionary housing approach.

Key authors of ISO 55000 will introduce this new global language of asset management to the real estate and infrastructure communities.

Creators of Extreme Realities of the series Journey to Planet Earth discuss their documentary with Prof. Mindy Engle-Friedman of the Baruch Task Force on Sustainability.

Kenneth Arrow addresses the ethical implications created by differences in information among firms and other stakeholders. For example, retailers have knowledge about their products that consumers lack; financial officers have knowledge about the firm that shareholders do not have. What moral obligations does this impose on the firms and their managers? Can law be a substitute for such obligations?

Corporate Communication International (CCI) introduces Michael B. Goodman and Peter B. Hirsch’s new book, emCorporate Communication: Critical Business Asset for Strategic Global Change/em.br /br /

The communication role in organizations has changed, just as the nature of organizations has changed in response to the explosion of new communication technologies as well as global networks within organizations. Communication is more complex, strategic, and vital to the health of the organization than it used to be, and it will become increasingly important in the information-driven economy.

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This book builds upon the authors’ 2010 book, emCorporate Communication: Strategic Adaptation for Global Practice/em, which focused on the role of the communicator. This volume examines, analyzes, and illustrates the practice of corporate communication as a critical business asset in a time of global change. It looks at the major communication needs in the life cycle of organizations: MA (mergers and acquisitions), structural change, culture change, innovation, new leadership, downsizing, global expansion, competition, ethical decision-making, political action, and employee engagement. These are all significant value-creating, and potentially value-destroying, events in which corporate communication, if used correctly, functions as a critical and strategic business asset.

Panelists discuss the status of implementing the New York Nonprofit Revitalization Act of 2013, improving nonprofit registration and operations, establishing board responsibilities, preventing and avoiding conflicts of interest, and whistleblower policies.