Oriya Cohen is a policy program manager in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute, where he leads cross-division initiatives that help policymakers and practitioners strengthen climate resilience, spur housing innovation, and advance wealth equity. With experience in local government, community development, and grantmaking, Cohen brings an interdisciplinary approach to research and engagement with changemakers.

Before joining Urban, Cohen was a Coro Fellow in public affairs in California, where he supported organizations to strengthen health and housing partnerships, develop affordable housing, and analyze the impacts of sea-level rise across the Bay Area. Before joining Coro, he worked in the Oakland Office of the Mayor, helping to establish the city’s first department of transportation and supporting the development of a citywide general obligation bond to fund transportation, infrastructure, and affordable housing projects across the city. Cohen received a BA in sustainable environmental design from the University of California, Berkeley.