CUIP is a community based, user-generated interactive map, directory and shared calendar of events for art, culture, architecture, advocacy, urban development and interdisciplinary initiatives and organizations based in Cairo.

CLUSTER’s idea for the Cairo Urban Initiatives Platform (CUIP: www.cuipcairo.org) emerged in the first year after the Revolution. CLUSTER identified a new condition of flux, whereby a weak state and a temporary absence of security apparatus were coupled with a sense of empowerment by individuals and communities, which resulted in their reclaiming the city and public space. Cairo was the focus of international media, and an influx of funding for independent initiatives and civil society translated into a proliferation of small entities, from various disciplinary perspectives and approaches, having a shared interest in the city and public space.

In recognition of the need for a common platform for collaboration and shared

resources, CLUSTER began developing a database/directory of the multiple art, culture, architecture, advocacy, urban development and interdisciplinary organizations/initiatives addressing issues related to the city, the urban environment and public space in Cairo. CLUSTER then extended the invitation to stakeholders representing these positions to join together to envision the multiple opportunities and challenges facing urban initiatives in Cairo within the rapidly shifting environment. Through a series of networking sessions, CLUSTER invited local initiatives’ participation in the creation of a bi-lingual Arabic/English directory and shared calendar, in the interest of facilitating cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration. Launched with the participation of 35 initiatives, CUIP now hosts over 300 different initiatives, and has over 4000 users monthly, over 70% of whom come from Egypt.