Our Impact

Since 2001, we've worked with...

130

community organizations in NYC and beyond

325

designers and teaching artists

46

schools and youth organizations

5,225

high school students

The projects we’ve created together have reached over 300,000 people, and contributed to important gains for marginalized communities in NYC and beyond, including:

Chinatown residents successfully fought landlord harassment in several buildings, preventing eviction for dozens of families, through CUP’s work with CAAAV.

NYC street vendors have been able to better meet city laws and avoid fines, and also successfully advocated for a reduction in fines with Vendor Power! our guide created with the Street Vendor Project.

Our Envisioning Development Toolkits, hands-on workshop tools about land use policies, have been used by over 100 community organizations to train several thousand NYC residents to more effectively participate in critical land use decisions.

High school students are more confident in their public speaking and critical thinking skills, and more engaged in the decision-making that impacts their communities.

CUP’s work has influenced the work of government agencies, including several that have hired CUP to work with them, to create more accessible materials.

Here's what our work does


Popular education materials:

  • increase the number of people accessing rights and services
  • increase individuals’ confidence in their ability to effect change
  • increase the capacity of organizers to do their work and amplify the impacts of their work
  • create measurable changes and improvements in policies impacting marginalized communities


Youth education programs:

  • develop art-making and technical skills and experience
  • support learning how the places we live are products of decision-making
  • identify pathways to civic engagement and new careers
  • increase confidence


Trainings and leadership programs:

  • support more people to create local opportunities for meaningful civic engagement
  • help designers and teaching artists develop the skills to lead collaborations with others

Awards & Recognition

CUP's work has been recognized by a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Institutional Achievement, a National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award from First Lady Michelle Obama, several Core 77 Design Awards, and the Curry Stone Design Prize.