In 2010, the New York State Supreme Court found that the NYPD continued to enforce loitering laws that were ruled unconstitutional back in the 1980s. Have things changed in the past 10 years? What’s loitering? Who has the right to hang out in public space? How do loitering laws impact New Yorkers?
In the winter of 2018 CUP collaborated with Teaching Artist Stephen Kwok and public high school students from Life Sciences Secondary School to investigate these questions. Students created public art interventions, surveyed community members near their school, and interviewed stakeholders working on the issue. The team gathered what they learned and created, Let’s Hang Out, a guide to NYC’s loitering laws, how they impact communities, and how these policies and their enforcement could be transformed.
Students debuted their final project at the 96th Street Library, where they presented the booklet and shared their creative process.
Get your own booklet here!
Check out more photos of the students in action here!