Community Design Center of Rochester - CDCR

Community Design Center of Rochester - CDCR Community Design Rochester (CDR) works to advocate for and implement design excellence and sustainability in the built environment.

Ideas became action on Wednesday morning at our Strong Towns and the Housing-Ready City workshop.Led by Edward Erfurt of...
06/01/2026

Ideas became action on Wednesday morning at our Strong Towns and the Housing-Ready City workshop.

Led by Edward Erfurt of Strong Towns, participants explored practical strategies for creating more housing opportunities and building stronger, more resilient communities. Through discussion and hands-on activities, attendees examined how local policies, development patterns, and community decisions shape the places we live.

Thank you to for sharing his knowledge and experience, and to everyone who joined us and contributed their ideas throughout the morning. Your questions, insights, and perspectives helped make for an engaging and productive workshop.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Tuesday for Strong Towns and the Housing-Ready City.A special thank you to for s...
05/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Tuesday for Strong Towns and the Housing-Ready City.

A special thank you to for sharing his expertise and insights on creating more housing-ready communities. His presentation sparked meaningful discussion about practical approaches to housing, development, and long-term community resilience.

Thank you to our event sponsors, and , and to all of our ReShaping Rochester series sponsors for their continued support.

We appreciate everyone who attended and contributed to the conversation.

Preservation Month isn’t just about preserving buildings - it’s about preserving the stories, skills, artifacts, and exp...
05/20/2026

Preservation Month isn’t just about preserving buildings - it’s about preserving the stories, skills, artifacts, and experiences that connect us to Rochester’s history.

We were proud to work with the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum on a master plan and workshop completed in 2025 that looked at accessibility, utilities, circulation, visitor experience, and the long-term future of the campus.

What makes their work so unique is that this history is still active. Trains are restored and worked on inside their rail shop, where volunteers and staff repair engines, fabricate parts, weld, and keep historic equipment running. Preservation here isn’t just about saving artifacts - it’s also about preserving trades, skills, and knowledge that are becoming harder to find.

The museum has also restored parts of the original station buildings on the campus, helping preserve the experience of Rochester’s rail history in a very real and hands-on way. You can walk through the trains, see the signals lit up, and experience these historic pieces up close rather than behind glass.

We’re excited to support their upcoming gala and the next phase of improvements at the museum.

One week until our May ReShaping Rochester events with Strong Towns’ Edward Erfurt!Join us for an evening discussion and...
05/19/2026

One week until our May ReShaping Rochester events with Strong Towns’ Edward Erfurt!

Join us for an evening discussion and morning workshop focused on housing, incremental development, and Rochester’s future.

📍 May 26 - Talk
The Strong National Museum of Play
5:30-8:00 PM

📍 May 27 - Workshop
400 Andrews Street, Suite 100, NY 14604
8:30 AM-12:00 PM

Open to anyone interested in housing, community development, and the future of Rochester.

🎟️ Links in bio.

Second hot day in Rochester ☀️We took a walk over to Schiller Park from the Harro East Building today and spent some tim...
05/19/2026

Second hot day in Rochester ☀️

We took a walk over to Schiller Park from the Harro East Building today and spent some time enjoying the park, the views, and the sunshine while it lasts.

With colder weather coming back after today, it felt like a good reminder to slow down for a bit and appreciate the public spaces around us. Hope you get a chance to enjoy one near you too 🌳

Meet Edward Erfurt, featured speaker for our upcoming ReShaping Rochester event.As Chief Technical Advisor at Strong Tow...
05/12/2026

Meet Edward Erfurt, featured speaker for our upcoming ReShaping Rochester event.

As Chief Technical Advisor at Strong Towns, Edward works on housing, land use, and community development strategies focused on building stronger, more resilient communities. With a background in architecture, urban design, and development, his work explores practical approaches to incremental growth, housing opportunity, and people-centered neighborhoods.

📅 Tuesday, May 26, 2026
📍 Strong Museum of Play
⏰ Social Hour 5:30-6:30pm | Discussion 6:30-8pm
🎟️ Learn more and register through the link in our bio.

Second visit with the 10th grade art class at Rochester Prep High School ✏️Working alongside EDGE Architecture, students...
05/05/2026

Second visit with the 10th grade art class at Rochester Prep High School ✏️

Working alongside EDGE Architecture, students have been studying St. Joseph’s Square - near the Prep campus - and turning their observations into sketches and concept ideas.

This session was about listening - hearing their ideas, asking questions, and helping them build on their concepts with thoughtful additions and design strategies.

The work is still in progress, and it’s exciting to see how their ideas continue to evolve.

If you’ve been part of our past events, you know the conversation doesn’t stop - it builds.Join us for our next ReShapin...
05/04/2026

If you’ve been part of our past events, you know the conversation doesn’t stop - it builds.

Join us for our next ReShaping Rochester event: Strong Towns and the Housing-Ready City, where we’re continuing the momentum around housing, development, and what it really takes to move projects forward.

We’re excited to welcome Edward Erfurt of Strong Towns, based in Minnesota, bringing a national perspective on incremental development, removing barriers, and creating communities that are truly ready for more housing.

If you’ve been following the series - or you’re just jumping in - this is your chance to be part of what’s next.

📍 Strong Museum of Play
🗓️ May 26, 2026
⏰ 5:30–8:00 PM

🎟️ Register through the link in our profile

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Real Estate Development & You Workshop.This session allowed us to spend t...
04/30/2026

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Real Estate Development & You Workshop.

This session allowed us to spend time working through the realities of development in a more detailed and hands-on way - breaking down processes, asking deeper questions, and learning directly from experience. We appreciate Joel Barrett and Jim Heid for guiding a focused and insightful discussion that brought clarity to a complex topic.

Thank you to all who attended and contributed so thoughtfully. Your engagement made this a productive and meaningful exchange.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to continue building knowledge and capacity around development in Rochester.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Real Estate Development & You.We are especially grateful to our speakers - Matt ...
04/30/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Real Estate Development & You.

We are especially grateful to our speakers - Matt Roland, Joel Barrett, and Jim Heid - for sharing their expertise and offering valuable insight into the realities of real estate development. Their contributions helped make the conversation both informative and impactful.

Thank you as well to all who attended and engaged in the discussion. Your participation continues to strengthen the dialogue around housing, development, and the future of Rochester.

We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing the conversation.

Address

400 Andrew's Street, Suite 100
Rochester, NY
14604

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15852710520

Website

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2fb3bbf2ff784f20bcb57eb43637cdf3, https://www.e

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