Community Design Center News......................................... May 2022
April's Lecture with Dr. Samina Raja
Thank you to all who attended our webinar with Dr. Samina Raja last week! Her presentation "Food Equity by Design" had nearly 100 attendees and focused on the power of community-centered planning in creating equitable food systems. She even soft launched a Food Systems Data Dashboard for Western New York at the lecture! We are grateful to Dr. Raja for sharing her expertise, which offered a nuanced lens for considering our 2022 theme: The Ideal City.

We also hosted a follow-up Community Conversation to further connect Dr. Raja's lecture to the local context with Mike Bulger (Healthy Communities Project Coordinator at Common Ground Health), Leslie Knox (Chair of Taproot Collective), and Amber Powers (Founding Board Member of Taproot Collective).

Click the images above to watch recordings of the lecture (left) and community conversation (right).
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Join us for our next Reshaping Rochester lecture!
Electrifying Everything: The Path to Full City Decarbonization
Rebecca Evans
Sustainability Planner at City of Ithaca | Ithaca, NY

May 25, 12:00pm
Zoom Webinar

Rebecca Evans is stepping in for her colleague, Dr. Luis Aguirre-Torres, who was invited to speak at the World Economic Forum the day of the lecture.
Local & Notable:
ROC the Riverway Continues with Aqueduct Reimagined and Riverfront Promenades Project

"The centerpiece of Rochester's ROC the Riverway initiative, the Aqueduct Reimagined and Riverfront Promenades project is a bold plan that will create a central gathering place and establish riverfront trail connectivity on the downtown waterfront. There have been countless ideas for what to do with the Broad Street Bridge and Aqueduct ever since the last subway trains passed through its walls in 1956. Now, the City, with support from New York State, is prepared to make big things happen."

The project is being led by Bergmann Associates, WXY, and Urban American City, with support from many other project partners. Some of you may recall that the CDCR hosted Urban American City's founder, Toni Griffin, as part of our 2020 Reshaping Rochester Lecture Series! We are thrilled that Ms. Griffin will be centrally involved in this project.

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Rochester Downtown Revitalization Initiative

In December 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul awarded the City of Rochester $10 million in funding designed to revitalize communities and grow the economy. In early May, a local planning committee of municipal representatives, community leaders, and other stakeholders revealed 13 project proposals to the public. These proposals were informed by a public meeting earlier in the year.

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ZAP Progress to be Announced at City Council Meeting (Livestreamed)

Curious about ZAP progress? You're in luck! On May 12 at 4:30pm, Kevin Kelley (Manager of Planning) and Roseanne Khaleel (Manager of Zoning) will provide City Council members with a virtual and livestreamed overview of the ZAP progress.

Check This Out:
Image Credit: Unsplash
How to Make the Best Use of Funding for
Infrastructure Projects

"More than $1.2 trillion is queued up to be spent on American infrastructure in the next five years, a huge increase over normal funding cycles. This is an opportunity for local governments to make solid investments in infrastructure, but also a risk that the money could be spent badly, making communities poorer in the long run."

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Image Credit: Brad Feinknopf
It's Time for a Net Zero Building Boom

"A mix of high-tech and old-fashioned energy efficienct tactics can deliver carbon-neutral buildings, right now. But the US needs to pick up the pace."
See What Our Friends Are Doing:
Thursday, Jun. 9 | 4:30pm-8:30pm | George Eastman Museum (14607)

Celebrate the winners of this year's Design Awards! In-person for the first time in two years, this event will be a formal cocktail reception. Get there at 4:30pm to mingle (and enjoy some hors d'oeuvres), and stay for the official Awards Show at 5:45pm and after party at 7:00pm.

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Thursday, Jul. 14 | 5:30pm-9:30pm | Pont de Rennes Bridge (14614)

Join Greentopia for a three-course dinner, cocktails, live music, and silent auction -- all benefiting Green Visions, their workforce development program for youth located in the City of Rochester's JOSANA and Joseph Ave neighborhoods!

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Sunday, Jun. 5 | 1:00pm-3:00pm | Scio Street Bridge (14605)

It's no secret that the filling of Inner Loop North is in the works -- but it's still years away. To help envision the future connection of the 16th Ward, Hinge Neighbors is transforming the Scio Street Bridge into a temporary park! Enjoy live music, games, children's activities, and food trucks. Numerous trees, a lawn, colorful picnic tables, and wooden benches will be placed along the bridge. Show up for some tactical urbanism!

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Friday, May 13 - Sunday, May 22

The cycling season in Rochester continues with Bike Week 2022, spanning two consecutive weekends and offering cycling events for all ages and levels of expertise! The purpose is to celebrate biking in Rochester and expand the use of bikes as practical, daily transportation.