Community Design Center News......................................... March 2022
Mission Refresh
The CDCR recently took some time to reflect. In collaboration with Causewave Community Partners, we embarked on a strategic planning process to help clarify our purpose and build a new CDCR poised to tackle today's challenges. Part of this process was holding listening sessions with multiple stakeholder groups, leading to a reassessment of our mission and clarification of the impact we wish to have on our community. Here is our refreshed mission, hot off the presses:

The CDCR promotes the creation of vibrant, equitable, and resilient communities by engaging, educating, and empowering stakeholders in crafting purposeful design.

A big thank you to Causewave, those who participated in surveys/meetings, and all of you for being invested in our organization!
February's Lecture with Rick Cole
Thank you to all who attended our kickoff of the 2022 Lecture Series with Rick Cole (Executive Director of CNU)! His webinar presentation "A City That Works for Everyone" had nearly 100 attendees and laid a framework for the remaining lectures, which together will unpack our 2022 theme of The Ideal City.

We also hosted a follow-up Community Conversation to further connect Rick Cole's lecture to the local context.

Click the images above to watch recordings of the lecture (left) and follow-up Community Conversation (right).
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Join us for our next Reshaping Rochester lecture!
Worthy of Investment: Restoring Value to Black Communities
Dr. Andre M. Perry
Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro & Author of Know Your Price | Washington, DC

March 23, 12:00pm
Zoom Webinar
Get a Sneak Peek!
Dr. Perry will be on Connections March 16 at 1:00pm to preview the lecture.

Make Your Voice Heard!
The Evans Administration is seeking community feedback as they draft the City of Rochester's 2022-2023 budget! Here are three ways to participate this month:




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Monroe County has commenced work on the first update to its Comprehensive Plan in 40 years! Those leading the initiative hope it will outline a shared community vision, accompanied by goals, strategies, and actions that will help guide future decision-making, capital investments, and programmatic initiatives for the County. The only way this will truly be a shared community vision is if you show up and share your experiences/opinions!


This is one of many community engagement opportunities. Monitor the plan's website to stay up to date on all events.

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The City of Rochester is in the midst of a Zoning Alignment Project (ZAP) which will rewrite land use laws to match up with the Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan. There will be two additional phases of the plan with opportunities for public input. Stay tuned to the ZAP website for additional information.
Check This Out:
Black Artists + Designers Guild Founder Marlene Barnett. Image Credit: Kelly Marshall
10 Black Women Changing the Architecture
and Design Space

"According to a 2020 report in Archinect, only 0.4% of licensed architects in the US are Black women. And a recent survey from Zippia revealed that within a $17.5 billion industry, there are only 2.3% of interior designers in the US who identify as Black or African American...As important as it is to honor the trailblazers of the past...we should also give credit to those who are shifting the culture in the present."
See What Our Friends Are Doing:
Applications due Friday, Apr. 15

Calling all high school and college architecture students! AIA Rochester has announced the 2022 Scholarship Program, which will award $17,500 to qualified individuals.

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Applications due Thursday, Mar. 31

Seeking grantees! The Landmark Society's Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization (GVRR) Grant application is officially open. GVRR supports historic restoration and rehabilitation projects throughout rural communities in the Finger Lakes and Western New York regions. Specifically, the grant program offers $5,000-$50,000 reimbursable, unmatched sub-grants for eligible historic buildings to preserve the historic places that have shaped rural communities, their social fabric, and economy.

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Tuesday, May 3 - Wednesday, May 4 | Hyatt Regency Rochester

Reconnect Rochester invites you to attend the biennial Walk-Bike New York Symposium, which will be held right here in Rochester! Hosted by the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), this event provides education, information, and the tools required to create walkable and bikeable communities. Open to all!