Community Design Center News......................................... November 2021
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Register for November 17 Awards Ceremony featuring Malik Evans! |
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Each year, the CDCR presents a special event to honor the winners of the Reshaping Rochester Awards. The awards recognize exemplary regional initiatives and projects that positively impact people, neighborhoods, and the community.
Keep an eye on your inbox and social media feeds for finalist features this week, and join us for the virtual ceremony on Wednesday, November 17 from 12:00pm-1:30pm where winners will be revealed and celebrated!
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In case you haven't heard, our Urban Observations speaker this year is Malik Evans, Mayor-Elect of the City of Rochester. You do not want to miss this keynote!
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Over the past few months, the CDCR has had some staff and board changes.
Keep scrolling to discover our fresh faces!
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With Executive Director Maria Furgiuele out on medical leave, the CDCR's Board of Directors unanimously agreed to name Monika Reifenstein as Interim Executive Director. Monika was previously Director of Operations for the organization, and we are confident that she will keep things running smoothly in Maria's absence! We are grateful to Maria for her devotion to the CDCR over the years, wish her the best in her healing, and look forward to her return. |
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Monika Reifenstein
Interim Executive Director
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Monika Reifenstein began working at the CDCR in January 2019, and has been Maria Furgiuele's "right-hand woman" ever since. She is honored and excited to help sustain the organization's mission while Maria focuses on her health.
Monika is interested in serving any organization with a mission dedicated to social justice. When not at the CDCR, she serves as Co-founder and Director of Make Music Rochester, a global celebration of the summer solstice aimed at community engagement, bonding, and development. She also works with Reconnect Rochester as their Development & Communications Specialist and sings in two local choirs.
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We are also excited to announce the election of Monica McCullough as Board President and the addition of three new folks to our Board of Directors! |
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Monica McCullough, Esq.
Board President
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Monica McCullough previously served as Board Vice President of the CDCR. She is the owner and founder of MM Development Advisors, Inc., a NYS Certified Woman-owned Business Enterprise that assists community-oriented non-profits and social service providers to develop affordable and supportive housing.
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Gene DePrez, MA
Board Member
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Gene DePrez is the Managing Partner at Global Innovation Partners. He has over 35 years of corporate, consulting, association and government experience providing strategy and transformation for international businesses, governments, and public/private development organizations in North America and Europe.
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Mike Prattico, AIA, LEED AP
Board Member
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Mike Prattico is an experienced architect and Partner at HBT Architects. Focused within the higher education and multi-family housing markets, he brings a strong repertoire of design skills and technical knowledge to his projects.
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Mariam Yaqub, M.Arch
Board Member
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Mariam Yaqub is a Project Manager with CJS Architects and longtime volunteer with the CDCR. She completed her B.Sc. Arch and M.Arch degrees at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI during which she received two architecture scholarships: AIA Rhode Island and Raj Saksena. Mariam appreciates the opportunity to hear what the residents of a city really want and need from their built environment.
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Neighborhood Impacts: "Will plans for Inner Loop heal historic wounds or continue legacy of inequality?"
If you've been anywhere near Rochester lately, you know there are plans underway for the Inner Loop's remaining northern portion. The Democrat & Chronicle recently published an article that highlights community voices while looking back at the construction of the Inner Loop and what's ahead: "Completed in stages between 1952 and 1965...the Inner Loop was heralded as an achievement. The arterial highway encircling a traffic-clogged business district...was a first in New York State and one of the first such roadways in the nation. A half-century later, the city is confronting the freeway's destructive legacy while contemplating a second and final stage of its removal."
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Our Self-Imposed Scarcity of Nice Places
"We need to learn how to separate form from (current) function. In fact, our shortage of nice places is almost totally self-imposed. And it's precisely because 98% of the North American built environment is so blah that the 2% of places that are really well-designed environments quickly get bid up by the rich and become inaccessible to the rest of us. The solution to this isn't to stop creating such places, but to create vastly more of them."
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Image Credit: Marianne Purdie/Moment RF |
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What It Means to Design a Space for "Care"
"A municipal Department of Care could make sure the trash was picked up and the tree pits were weeded. A Department of Care could pay teens to tend to public spaces and teach them stewardship skills. A Department of Care could check on seniors in a heat wave and basement apartment dwellers in a flood. A Department of Care would start by asking, as urban designer Justin Garrett Moore suggests: What do you need? What do you hope will change? How can we best accomplish this? Of course, the Department of Care doesn't exist -- yet."
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See what our friends are doing: |
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The Landmark Society recently released this year's "Five to Revive" list, which identifies opportunities in Western New York for targeted revitalization. "The ultimate goal is to return these important historic resources to a place of prominence in their respective communities, as economic and social assets that spark even more investment and revitalization" (Wayne Goodman, Executive Director).
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Wednesday, Nov. 17 | 6:30pm-8:30pm | The Little Theatre (14604) or Online
The next edition of Rochester Street Films will put a spotlight on the growing number of pedestrian injuries and deaths on our streets. Featuring compelling film clips, a presentation of local statistics, and a live panel discussion, this event is a must-attend. Plus, the winners of this year's Complete Streets Makeover will be announced at the conclusion of the program!
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