Mission
The Center for Downtown New York (CDNY) at Pace University was founded to serve the community as an academic, research, and civic leadership partner in the effort to revitalize lower Manhattan. CDNY provides assistance and expertise to the residents and leaders affected by or participating in the downtown Manhattan redesign and rebuilding effort; and provides appropriate public policy recommendations, academic perspectives, and research recommendations regarding the events and aftermath of 9/11.

Expertise for Economic and Social Revival
Pace has created an inventory of expertise among its faculty and staff to assist governments, corporations, small businesses, educational groups, schools, community groups, and others in the economic and social revitalization of downtown New York. The university is creating a "one-stop shop," acting as a clearinghouse to match the requests of downtown business owners, residents, and others with Pace experts. Information is being provided by phone or on the Web at no cost.

Academic and Applied Research Pertaining to the Rebuilding Effort
CDNY is sponsoring research by Pace faculty dealing with the impact of the attacks and is assisting others who are looking for a research partner in a specific area where Pace has expertise. In addition, Pace is partnering with businesses in the downtown community to develop, implement, and assess new systems for providing professional development.

Rebuilding Community and Fostering Civic Competency
Pace has a longstanding tradition of community volunteerism, commitment to civic competency, and recognized leadership development programs. Pace is complementing its students and staff by working with outside organizations to improve civic leadership and effectiveness in delivering services and otherwise improving the quality of life in the downtown community.

Protecting the Environment
Based on its recognized strength in environmental affairs, Pace is working with city, state, and federal agencies to study the impact of the World Trade Center attack on air, water, waste management, and other aspects of the physical environment in Lower Manhattan. Pace, through CDNY is serving as a clearinghouse for comprehensive environmental data. The Center is also serving as a forum for exchange of information, and a place to develop policy recommendations for future practices. On November 20, Pace hosted a major conference on the environmental consequences of 9/11. The results of that conference are already being shared with community, government, and business groups.

Cooperative Research, Chronicling Events and Gaining Historical Perspective and Understanding
To restore the health of the Lower Manhattan community, it is essential to understand the events of 9/11 and the ensuing experiences, as well as their impact on the lives of those who live and work in the area. To accomplish this, Pace is undertaking the following efforts:

• Working with other private and public institutions where cooperative and consortial research is needed. Partnerships with the Board of Education, law enforcement, and other uniformed service groups, community groups, and private groups are ongoing
• Created a polling center to conduct systematic polls of residents, employers, and community leaders to provide a) benchmark and longitudinal data that charts attitudes and behaviors resulting from the attacks; and b) business-related polls to facilitate rebuilding and development
• Developing, with other institutions, the oral and physical history both pre- and post-9/11 so that future generations of scholars will be better able to study the event and its aftermath
• Working with other educational and cultural institutions to chronicle and record the history of the response to the terrorist attacks and place the New York City experience in the appropriate comparative and historical perspective of other major tragedies, which have affected American and other cities