Community Design Center Rochester Inc

ANNUAL RESHAPING ROCHESTER LECTURE SERIES:OUR AWARD-WINNING SERIES, NOW IN ITS 17TH YEAR, HAS BROUGHT NATIONALLY-KNOWN LEADERS IN THE FIELDS OF DESIGN, TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC POLICY, ART, HEALTH, AND PLANNING TO THE ROCHESTER AREA. MORE THAN 100 SPEAKERS HAVE SHARED THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY/PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE FINGER LAKES REGION.THE SERIES EDUCATES COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND POLICY MAKERS ON HOW POSITIVE CHANGES TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT CAN LEAD TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL. THE WAY WE SHAPE OUR SPACE HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON HOW WE BUILD COMMUNITY AND THAT COMMUNITY'S ECONOMIC, PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. EACH SPEAKER EVENT CONSISTS OF A WORKSHOP WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND DECISION MAKERS, A TOUR THAT HELPS THE SPEAKER RELATE THE SUBJECT OF THEIR PRESENTATION TO THE LOCAL CONTEXT, AND A FORMAL LECTURE THAT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WE CONTINUED TO HOST PUBLIC COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO DISCUSS THE INFORMATION PRESENTED BY THE GUEST SPEAKERS AND SOLIDIFY ITS CONNECTION TO THE LOCAL CONTEXT. IN 2021, WE HELD ALL OF OUR LECTURES AND RELATED EVENTS VIRTUALLY AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.ANNUAL RESHAPING ROCHESTER AWARDS:ENTERING ITS 12TH YEAR, THIS EVENT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CDCR TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS AND PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAD A LASTING POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION. EACH PROJECT IS RATED ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE BUILDING/DEVELOPMENT/PLANNING EFFORT, HOW IT HAS SOLVED AN URBAN DESIGN PROBLEM, AND ITS IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. INDIVIDUALS ARE ALSO HONORED FOR THEIR ADVOCACY AND PASSION TO MOVE A DIFFICULT ENDEAVOR FORWARD THAT LEADS TO VISIBLE CHANGE IN A COMMUNITY. THE AWARDS CEREMONY FEATURED ROCHESTER'S MAYOR-ELECT AND WAS HELD VIRTUALLY.COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DESIGN ENGAGEMENT:SINCE OUR INCEPTION, CDCR HAS ORGANIZED AND FACILITATED MORE THAN 30 DESIGN CHARRETTES AND OVER 40 PLANNING AND DESIGN EXERCISES, RANGING FROM DESIGN STUDIES TO COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN GUIDELINES THROUGHOUT THE FINGER LAKES REGION. THESE COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EXERCISES HAVE LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF VISION PLANS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. THE RESULTING VISION PLANS HAVE SERVED AS A CATALYST FOR INFILL HOUSING; COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR REDEVELOPMENT; AND THE CREATION OF POCKET PARKS, BIKE LANES, TRAFFIC-CALMING MEASURES, AND MORE. ADDITIONALLY, AS CDCR WORKS WITH COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS, CAPACITY-BUILDING IS A NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF THE EFFORT; THE IN-DEPTH PROCESS OVER TIME PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD TRUST, EXCHANGE INFORMATION, EDUCATE, AND INFORM.