CUP’s core staff supports the organization from day to day, but CUP projects are designed and implemented by teams of artists, designers, educators, activists, and researchers.
Predatory Equity
Making Policy Public
Fast-Tracked
Urban Investigations
Participatory Budgeting
Technical Assistance
Are You Ready for a Ruckus?
Urban Investigations
Power Trip
Urban Investigations
The Newtown Creek BOA
Technical Assistance
Fatima Abdul-Nabi
Fatima was born and raised in NYC and is interested in all things urban. When not working, she likes to ... moreFatima Abdul-Nabi
Fatima was born and raised in NYC and is interested in all things urban. When not working, she likes to explore and relax in different parks around the city. Fatima is completing her bachelors in urban studies at Barnard College and is teaching this fall’s class on disaster planning.
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Clara Amenyo
Clara joined CUP in 2012 as a Program Manager. Prior to joining CUP she was an Analyst with Barclays Capital. Clara has a ... moreClara Amenyo
Clara joined CUP in 2012 as a Program Manager. Prior to joining CUP she was an Analyst with Barclays Capital. Clara has a Bachelor of the Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and enjoys doing yoga and dance in her free time.
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Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson, one of CUP’s co-founders, is an architectural designer in New York City. Originally from Seattle, ... moreJason Anderson
Jason Anderson, one of CUP’s co-founders, is an architectural designer in New York City. Originally from Seattle, Jason has worked and taught in New York and Beijing, where he lived for four years after being awarded the Henry Luce Scholarship in 2005. Jason holds a Master of Architecture from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University. Jason served on CUP’s board and as Treasurer from 1997-2006. He continues to be a supporter and a huge fan.
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Ruben Arroyo
Ruben Arroyo, from City-as-School, was part of the Water Underground crew in 2006.
Lashawn Bourne, Brianna Tyler, and Jacqueline Attia
Lashawn, Brianna, and Jacqueline, from the St. John’s Recreation Center in Crown Heights, were part of the ... moreLashawn Bourne, Brianna Tyler, and Jacqueline Attia
Lashawn, Brianna, and Jacqueline, from the St. John’s Recreation Center in Crown Heights, were part of the “What the Cell?” crew.
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Sean Kelleher and Danny Aviles
Sean Kelleher and Danny Aviles, from City-As-School, were part of the Water Underground crew in 2006.Sean Kelleher and Danny Aviles
Sean Kelleher and Danny Aviles, from City-As-School, were part of the Water Underground crew in 2006.
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Sean Basinski
Sean works for the Street Vendor Project, a membership-based organization of more than 700 vendors who work together to ... moreSean Basinski
Sean works for the Street Vendor Project, a membership-based organization of more than 700 vendors who work together to protect the rights of vendors and promote vendor-friendly reform. Sean worked with CUP to help produce the MPP Vendor Power!
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Tess Bath
Tess Bath was a CUP intern. She is a Hunter College student studying “Urban Space and Politics” through ... moreTess Bath
Tess Bath was a CUP intern. She is a Hunter College student studying “Urban Space and Politics” through CUNY’s Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies Program. Straddling geography and urban studies, her focus aims to break down the complex web of actors/systems/structures that produce urban space. Tess spent a good long year drooling over CUP and was honored to be given the opportunity to continue this practice in the splendor of their office. Hailing from southeast Florida, she spends much of her time pragmatically reimagining the notoriously “apolitical” suburbs and hopes to apply her experiences in the city and with CUP to alternative and critical pedagogical initiatives back home. In her free time she enjoys jamming out on the air guitar to Weezer.
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Francisca Benitez
Francisca Benitez is an artist born in Chile in 1974. Architect (University of Chile,1998), Master in Fine Arts (Hunter ... moreFrancisca Benitez
Francisca Benitez is an artist born in Chile in 1974. Architect (University of Chile,1998), Master in Fine Arts (Hunter College CUNY, 2007).
Her videos, photographs and drawings are exhibited internationally, most recently at El Museo del Barrio in New York, Parc de la Villette in Paris and
Museu de Arte Contemporánea da USP in Sao Paulo. She has been involved with CUP since 2001 working on several educational projects and exhibitions.
AJ Blandford
AJ Blandford is a former co-founding CUP board member. As a designer/builder she has worked together with artists including ... moreAJ Blandford
AJ Blandford is a former co-founding CUP board member. As a designer/builder she has worked together with artists including robbinschilds,
AL Steiner, Fritz Haeg, Shannon Ebner, Manfred Pernice, and Davide Balula. She is currently a doctoral student in the History program at
Rutgers University where she studies the cultural history of 19th century American arts and sciences.
The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board is a nonprofit organization that helps low-income tenants control their housing ... moreThe Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board is a nonprofit organization that helps low-income tenants control their housing through the creation of limited-equity cooperatives. UHAB also helps tenants preserve existing and affordable housing by empowering them to make proactive decisions about the future of their homes. UHAB collaborated with CUP on the MPP Predatory Equity.
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Youth Justice Board
The Youth Justice Board is a leadership program that gives young people a voice in policies that affect their lives, and ... moreYouth Justice Board
The Youth Justice Board is a leadership program that gives young people a voice in policies that affect their lives, and provides policymakers access to the insights of informed young people. Each year, a team of high-school-age youth from across New York City investigates a juvenile justice or public safety issue, formulates policy recommendations and works to implement its recommendations. The current Youth Justice Board seeks to expand and improve the City’s Alternatives to Detention (ATD) programs for young people charged with delinquencies. The Youth Justice Board is a project of the Center for Court Innovation and the Center for Courts and the Community. The Youth Justice Board was the advocate for the MPP I Got Arrested! Now What?
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Jonathan Bogarín
Jonathan Bogarín is an artist, filmmaker, and educator. He believes that art is a tool for understanding our world ... moreJonathan Bogarín
Jonathan Bogarín is an artist, filmmaker, and educator. He believes that art is a tool for understanding our world that can help us become more active, creative, and conscientious citizens. Jonathan is currently co-directing Invisible Murals, a PBS supported documentary about myths, murals, and oil in Venezuela. He has created numerous public artworks in collaboration with youth including CUP projects “Bodega Down Bronx” and “Scary, OK with it, Good.” Jonathan thinks CUP is cool.
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College Now students from “$ Breakdown”
CUP and CUP teaching artist Douglas Paulson worked with students from College Now at Brooklyn College on an Urban ... moreCollege Now students from “$ Breakdown”
CUP and CUP teaching artist Douglas Paulson worked with students from College Now at Brooklyn College on an Urban Investigation about neighborhood financial services. Those students were: Roodlyne Vilsaint, Kimberly Saintelus, Maniza Pritila, Alyssa Lau, Cynthia Dunston, Tommi Ann Davis, Shannae Braham, Alexa Betancourt.
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Joshua Breitbart
Joshua Breitbart is the Director of Field Operations for the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative. ... moreJoshua Breitbart
Joshua Breitbart is the Director of Field Operations for the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative. Through participatory media, collaborative design, and open source tools, OTI and its partners are building an Internet that people can shape to meet their needs and dreams. In his job, Josh uses the lessons he has learned as a founding board member of CUP and as a collaborator on projects like “The Internet is Serious Business” and “What the Cell?"
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Stella Bugbee
Stella Bugbee is a creative director specializing in identity and publication design. Studio projects might range from ... moreStella Bugbee
Stella Bugbee is a creative director specializing in identity and publication design. Studio projects might range from logos, web sites and books, to self-published projects and collaborations. In addition to running her studio she teaches Advanced Publication Design to seniors in the degree program at Parsons School of Design. Prior to founding a company of her own in the summer of 2005, Stella founded Honest with Cary Murnion and Jon Milott while the three were attending Parsons School of Design. After five years at Honest, she left to work for The New York Times Magazine and then went on to be a Design Director with the Brand Integration Group at Ogilvy and Mather.
Stella’s work has been featured in Print, Res, How, Step, Black Book, Nylon and Eye. Stella Bugbee has worked on Building Codes, Important Housing Rights, and Code City.
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Lisa Burris
Lisa Burris began with GOLES as the PHROLES organizer in June 2005. She has been a life-long resident of Public Housing ... moreLisa Burris
Lisa Burris began with GOLES as the PHROLES organizer in June 2005. She has been a life-long resident of Public Housing and began working with PHROLES as a steering committee member, eventually becoming the co-chair of the committee. Lisa graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from New Paltz College in 2003 and since has dedicated herself to creating social change. After college, Lisa worked teaching independent living skills to aging out foster children. She is a member of the United Nations Youth Council and co-founded Cultural Unity an organization in New Paltz dedicated to increasing cultural awareness and creating unity through education. Her organizing experience, incredible passion to create change, and first hand knowledge of public housing issues have prepared her for the challenges of organizing around public housing issues. She is bilingual in English and Spanish. Lisa Burris has worked on PHTV: What’s up with Public Housing?
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City-As-School students from the Internet is Serious Business
Kristian Roberts, Joanna Pajuelo, Darnell Lubin, and Brian Garrido, all from City-as-School, collaborated with CUP and ... moreCity-As-School students from the Internet is Serious Business
Kristian Roberts, Joanna Pajuelo, Darnell Lubin, and Brian Garrido, all from City-as-School, collaborated with CUP and Helki Frantzen on “The Internet is Serious Business.”
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Justin Cassano
Justin Cassano is an animator and designer based in Brooklyn, New York. With a background in traditional animation ... moreJustin Cassano
Justin Cassano is an animator and designer based in Brooklyn, New York. With a background in traditional animation and an aesthetic rooted in strong design, Justin aims to create work that satisfies and engages viewers. Visit justincassano.com to see what he’s been up to lately.
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AUP students from Soda Census
Students from the Academy of Urban Planning, in Aisha Haynes’ English Language Arts Class, collaborated with CUP on ... moreAUP students from Soda Census
Students from the Academy of Urban Planning, in Aisha Haynes’ English Language Arts Class, collaborated with CUP on “Soda Census.”
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