Center For Urban Pedagogy (CUP)

Imagine walking through your neighborhood and noticing a new building going up. Who decided what it would be? Why is it there? And what does it mean for the future of the community? For most New Yorkers, these decisions feel distant, wrapped in jargon and bureaucracy. Brooklyn Org’s partners at The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) are working to change that.

Since 2001, CUP has transformed complex urban systems into accessible tools that empower people to understand and shape policies affecting their lives. What started as a small group of architects, designers, and urban planners committed to making city planning more understandable has evolved into a leading force for civic education.

“Our mission is to increase civic engagement by using art and design to make the systems, policies, and services that make this city run more understandable, engaging, and honestly, just accessible,” said Pilar Finuccio, CUP’s Executive Director.

At its core, CUP is about making power visible. Whether explaining tenants’ rights, demystifying zoning laws, or breaking down environmental policies, the organization works hand-in-hand with communities to create tools that are both informative and actionable.

“We like to think of our work as cultivating generations of civic engagement and knowledge,” Finuccio shared. “We’re most known for our community education work: our collaborations with organizers, advocates, and service providers who have a direct relationship with a directly impacted group of people at the intersections of immigration, race, and class.”

CUP’s programs take many forms, from pocket-sized zines to animated videos and workshops that engage directly with community members. One of its hallmark projects, What Is Zoning?, unpacks the dense language of zoning laws, revealing their real-world impact on issues like affordable housing, public space, and economic development.

CUP’s work extends beyond collaborating with community organizations—they’re also reshaping how young people interact with civic life. Through partnerships with Title I high schools, CUP embeds civic education into classrooms where arts programming is often underfunded or absent altogether. Over the years, CUP has engaged more than 6,000 high school students, working with 8-10 schools annually to bring these vital conversations to the next generation of community leaders.

With Brooklyn Org’s support, CUP has been able to grow its programming and collaborations beyond schools and into youth-centered community spaces.

Finuccio shared, “The multi-year grant we received from Brooklyn Org allowed us to partner with the Red Hook Community Justice Center to create a summer program. [Funding from BKO] also allowed us to create an extended skills program that deepened young people’s capacity to understand media and take more of a journalistic perspective on the research that they’re doing.”

One outcome of this partnership is a student-produced documentary exploring the recent influx of migrants to NYC and how media narratives shape public understanding:

Beyond its youth programs, CUP collaborates with nearly a dozen community organizations every year, ensuring that its work is deeply rooted in the lived experiences of those most impacted by systemic barriers. Whether developing resources on immigrant rights or environmental justice, CUP centers the voices of people who are directly impacted by the issues. “We are always catering to low-income groups and communities of color who have been kept out of decision-making processes intentionally,” Finuccio notes. “It’s about making information more accessible, known, and transparent.”

Brooklyn Org’s investment in CUP has gone beyond funding programs—it has strengthened the organization’s leadership. As CUP continues to expand its work, having access to skill-building and peer-learning opportunities has been critical in sustaining its impact. “I’m a huge fan of Brooklyn Org’s capacity-building work,” Finuccio says. “It’s been incredible for me, not only as a new leader within this role, but also as somebody who really thrives on social learning.”

Looking ahead, CUP remains committed to broadening its reach and making civic education more widely accessible. “Something we’re looking forward to doing more of is creating a stronger intergenerational conversation,” Finuccio says. By strengthening the connections between educators, organizers, and community members, CUP is building a more informed and engaged public—one that has the tools to shape the places they call home.