Public policy is most powerful when we can understand, share, and use it to care for the needs and vision of our communities. Making Policy Public is CUP’s annual open call that brings community advocates and visual designers together to turn public policy into shared knowledge for collective power.
Every year, four interdisciplinary teams combine policy expertise with creative practice to create educational resources that explain a specific law, service, or system affecting New Yorkers.
Throughout each project, the people most impacted by the project’s focus—from tenants fighting increased housing costs to young immigrants concerned about the impact of ICE in their communities—shape the narrative, language, and design of each resource.
When the project finishes, advocates receive 1,000 free copies to distribute directly to the communities and networks they work with.
Ready to learn more about this year’s collaborations? Scroll below to read about the advocates and visual designers we will be working with this year to make policy public!

Make the Road NY, Youth Power Project will collaborate with <a href="https://welcometocup.org/people/lunch-special" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lunch Special</a>, the design team of Tao Tao Holmes and Zai Thakoor to create a project that supports immigrant youth to understand their rights around ICE and school police.
The Youth Power Project is fostering a unique leadership pipeline for young people of color by supporting youth in co-developing critical thinking, community building and organizing skills. We aim to support a new generation of leaders who can transform communities and achieve dignity and justice for all people<a href="https://maketheroadny.org/program/youth-and-school-programs/"> </a>
<a href="https://maketheroadny.org/program/youth-and-school-programs/">Click here to learn more about the Make the Road NY, Youth Power Project</a>

Make the Road New York

The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) will collaborate with design team <a href="https://welcometocup.org/people/jonell-joshua" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jonell Joshua</a> and <a href="https://welcometocup.org/people/elizabeth-ward" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lyz Ward</a> to create a project that supports tenants to understand what it means to take control of their building—how to understand the conditions they need to purchase a building and how to build power and support to buy their building.
The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) empowers low- to moderate-income New Yorkers to create, own, and sustain affordable housing through collective ownership. Since 1973, UHAB has supported residents to take control of their housing, transforming thousands of distressed buildings into affordable cooperative homeownership. UHAB supports and strengthens community-owned housing through technical assistance, organizing, education, and policy that advances a vision of housing as a human right and builds generational stability for BIPOC, immigrant, and working-class communities across NYC.<a href="https://maketheroadny.org/program/youth-and-school-programs/"> </a>
<a href="https://www.uhab.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to learn more about UHAB</a>

Urban Homesteading Assistance Board

Volunteers of Legal Service, Incarcerated Mothers Law Project will collaborate with designer <a href="https://welcometocup.org/people/sofia-oropeza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sofía Oropeza</a> to create a project that supports incarcerated mothers to understand how to navigate the family legal system and reunify with their children.
The Incarcerated Mothers Law Project provides high-quality, free family law services to mothers in and recently released from prison and jail in New York State who are seeking information about their family law rights. In doing so, VOLS helps incarcerated mothers access justice and produce better outcomes for themselves and their children.
<a href="https://volsprobono.org/projects/incarcerated-mothers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to learn more about Volunteers of Legal Service, Incarcerated Mothers Law Project</a>

Volunteers of Legal Service

The Safety Net Project (SNP) of the Urban Justice Center will collaborate with Sa’ada, the design practice of <a href="https://welcometocup.org/people/sarah-saad" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah Saad</a> to create a project that supports unhoused people to understand their rights during sweeps of unhoused communities, how to defend themselves against criminalization, and where they can get support.
The Safety Net Project (SNP) of the Urban Justice Center ensures that New York City’s low-income and homeless communities have access to safe and secure housing, food, and essential benefits. We combine direct legal and social services, litigation, policy advocacy, and grassroots organizing, centering the leadership of those most impacted. Our Safety Net Activists, a member-based group with lived experiences with homelessness, poverty, and the public benefits system, organize and build power together in the fight for quality food, dignified housing, and a livable income for all.
<a href="https://snp.urbanjustice.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to learn more about the Safety Net Project (SNP) of the Urban Justice Center</a>

Safety Net Project, Urban Justice Center

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Announcing Our 2026 Making Policy Public Collaborations

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Hyperakt is a purpose-driven design and innovation studio that elevates human dignity and ignites curiosity. Since 2001, co-founders Julia Zeltser and Deroy Peraza, along with the Hyperakt team, have been partnering with change-makers moving society forward. We believe in design’s power to build a future filled with courage, optimism, and honesty.

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The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) is a nonprofit organization that uses the power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement in partnership with historically marginalized communities.

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CUP uses the power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement, in partnership with historically marginalized communities.

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