Hudson Yards, a new 17 million square foot commercial and residential project now under construction on the Far West Side of Midtown Manhattan, is the largest and most ambitious mixed-use development project in New York City’s history. Once complete in 2024, more than 125,000 people per day will work at, live in, and visit Hudson Yards.

Appleseed's report assesses the economic impact of development of Hudson Yards, the project’s ongoing contribution to the vitality of New York City’s economy, and its impact on MTA and New York City revenues. 

An Investment That’s Paying Off - The Economic and Fiscal Impact of the Development of Hudson Yards

In anticipation of a joint solicitation of proposals for redevelopment of the James A. Farley Building and Penn Station, a study was conducted to determine whether (as some observers have suggested) significant transportation improvements will require complete demolition of the existing station, Madison Square Garden, and 2 Penn Plaza, and the construction of an entirely new station complex.

Through a series of interviews and in-depth analysis of the internal and external area in and around Penn Station, an alternative approach was recommended, in which a series of incremental improvements - such as new and reconfigured entrances and passageways - could relieve congestion and improve traffic flow at a fraction of the cost of rebuilding the complex.

Time to Get Moving - Improving Commuter and Intercity Rail Facilities and Services on Manhattan's West Side

Of the many changes that have reshaped New York City during the past fifteen years, few have been as dramatic and as consequential as the emergence of Downtown Brooklyn as a major center of innovation, economic growth, and cultural development. This report examines the ongoing transformation of Downtown Brooklyn, why and how it has happened, and its implications for the borough and the city.

Key findings highlight the growth of the area’s innovation economy, increased collaboration among local higher education institutions, and the rebirth of Downtown Brooklyn as a major center for culture. It points to decades of targeted public investments, smart land use policy, and leadership at the local level for spurring this success – which has led to the growth of the neighborhood as well.

Downtown Rising: How Brooklyn Became a Model for Urban Development

Lower Manhattan is where New York City was born nearly 400 years ago, and where the city has time and again reinvented itself. Having withstood the devastation wrought by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the economic consequences of the financial crisis of 2008, and the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy, Lower Manhattan is once again one of the city’s fastest-growing neighborhoods and business districts, and an increasingly important source of economic growth and opportunity for New Yorkers.

Appleseed's report covers the major advances in Lower Manhattan’s economy expected over the next five years as a result of post-9/11 investments and the area’s status as a growing center for some of the city's highest value, most dynamic industries.

Economic Growth and Opportunity: Building New York City’s Future in Lower Manhattan

In collaboration with NYU's Rudin Center, Appleseed analyzed the post-9/11 rebuilding effort at the World Trade Center, concluding that the Port Authority will be able to recoup most, if not all, it has invested in rebuilding the site since the attacks of Sept. 11.

Surprise! The World Trade Center Rebuilding Pays Off for the Port Authority - and the Region

Appleseed’s report assessed Tulane University’s impact as the largest private employer in New Orleans and as a major contributor to the development of the city’s human capital. It also highlighted the university’s role in the city’s recovery from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Building a Stronger New Orleans - The Economic Impact of Tulane University

In the scope of its engagement with the scientific community, its reputation and the impact of its work, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a global institution. And as one of New York’s leading research institutions, it is an asset of particular value to New York State. In order to promote a clearer understanding of the multiple ways in which the Laboratory contributes to the life of New York State and its people, CSHL asked Appleseed to assess the Lab’s impact on the economy of Long Island and New York State as a whole.

Shaping Long Island’s Bioeconomy: The Economic Impact of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Stevens Institute of Technology – one of the nation’s premier technology universities, a leading educator of undergraduate and graduate engineers, and a long-time source of technological innovation – is a major contributor to the economic vitality of the City of Hoboken, Hudson County and the State of New Jersey. Appleseed’s report assesses Stevens’ economic impact, both locally and at the state level.

The Innovation University: The Economic Impact of Stevens Institute of Technology

For Johns Hopkins, Appleseed examined the university’s impact as a significant enterprise in its own right – as an employer, a buyer of goods and services from Maryland companies, and a sponsor of major construction projects. Appleseed also discussed the ways in which Johns Hopkins contributes to the Baltimore and Maryland economies through activities related to its mission – through undergraduate, graduate and professional programs that contribute to the development of human capital, research that strengthens the economy and through its commitment to public service. Appleseed’s report included a focus on the university’s role in the revitalization of East Baltimore, one of the city’s largest low-income communities.

Committed to Our Communities – Baltimore City

Committed to Our Communities – Maryland and Beyond

Coming off the lingering effects of a worldwide financial crisis and a severe recession, the loss of its largest manufacturing enterprise, and the demands of an increasingly interconnected and highly competitive global economy, the U.S. Virgin Islands faces an array of challenges to its economic future. The University of the Virgin Islands commissioned Appleseed to assess UVI’s impact on the economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands and to highlight recent initiatives through which the university is seeking to strengthen the territory’s and the region’s economy.

Restoring Growth, Expanding Opportunity – The Economic Impact of UVI

The Port Authority faced intense scrutiny following the George Washington Bridge scandal. Appleseed, in collaboration with the NYU Rudin Center, provided a series of recommendations on how the organization could be restructured in order to ensure greater transparency and accountability, and suggested that the organization prioritize its transportation-related assets as its strategy going forward.

A Port Authority that Works

Appleseed examined SCAD’s impact on the Savannah and Georgia economies, as an employer, a buyer of goods and services, a sponsor of major construction projects, and a developer of human capital. As one of the leading design schools in the world, Appleseed also focused on the role that the college has played in revitalizing and preserving downtown Savannah.

Local Roots, Global Reach – The Economic Impact of SCAD

Appleseed analyzed the multiple ways in which the YMCA of Greater New York contributes to the vitality of the city’s economy. The firm outlined the YMCA’s current economic impact as an enterprise – as an employer, a buyer of goods and services, and a sponsor of construction projects – and examined the long-term benefits that the city derives from the Y’s current investments in youth development, healthy living, and community-building. It also included a focus on the neighborhood-level impact of a local branch – the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA.

Here for Good – The Impact of the YMCA of Greater NY on NYC’s Economy

Between 2005 and 2010, Appleseed assisted the NYC Economic Development Corporation in developing a plan to expand privately-operated intra-city ferry service and evaluate its potential to stimulate economic development on the waterfront. Appleseed’s work on intra-city ferry service was incorporated into PLANYC 2030, the strategic plan prepared by the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability and released by Mayor Bloomberg in April 2007. Appleseed’s most recent work was used to inform pilot ferry services on the East River beginning in 2011.

Comprehensive Citywide Ferry Study

Brookhaven National Laboratory is one of just six multi-program national labs funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and is the only national lab located in the Northeast. It is also one of New York State’s largest centers of scientific research and a major contributor to the growth of Long Island’s technology-based economy. Appleseed’s report examined Brookhaven’s impact on the economy of Long Island and New York State as a whole, both as a major science-based enterprise in its own right and through its mission of research, technology development, and deployment and education.

Meeting National Needs, Creating Opportunities for Growth