Rasmus is a Project Associate at Hester Street. They draw from community architecture and design justice traditions to aid in struggles for land, housing, and environmental justice. Rasmus sees design as a critical thread in the web of cultural production and shared storytelling, whether the design in question is typed on paper or poured in concrete.
Rasmus learned their planning and design skills in collaboration with New Haven Legal Assistance, Cancel Rent Connecticut, and the People’s Collaborative for Dixwell. They often work with organizers to envision alternative modes of community development against paradigms of displacement and dispossession. Most recently, while collaborating with the Greater Dwight Development Corporation in New Haven, Rasmus developed popular education materials and conducted neighborhood mapping to inform organizational strategy against displacement in Dwight. They remain closely connected to New Haven and visit often.
Rasmus holds a B.A. Urban Studies, Yale University, December 2021. They grew up in Iowa City, Iowa, and currently live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. They also enjoy collaborating on the soccer pitch and skate park. They read and watch all manners of sci-fi and fantasy media, as well as play Dungeons and Dragons campaigns in their spare time.