New Ideas CityHello Museum

Sewer in a Suitcase

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CUP creates interactive tools that help break down policy issues for the people who most need to know. Sewer in a Suitcase is a working model of the city’s combined sewer system

For IDEAS CITY, CUP presents Sewer in a Suitcase.

The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) is a nonprofit organization that uses design and art to improve civic engagement. CUP projects demystify the urban policy and planning issues that impact our communities, so that more individuals can better participate in shaping them.

We believe that increasing understanding of how these systems work is the first step to better community participation. CUP projects are collaborations between art and design professionals, community-based advocates and policymakers, and our staff. Together, we take on complex issues—from the juvenile justice system to zoning law to food access—and break them down into simple, accessible, visual explanations. The tools we create are used by organizers and educators all over New York City to help their constituents better advocate for their own community needs.