Tag: Rochester Downtown Alliance

Reinventing Downtown alleys

December 14, 2018General

Activating and beautifying underutilized public spaces like alleys integrates exciting and healthy public spaces into our existing urban environments. It also tends to increase the perception of safety and reduce unwanted behaviors in those areas.

Over the past few months, the Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA) has been working on a new project that aims to repurpose the Third Street Alley (behind Café Steam, Kathy’s Pub, and 318 Commons) in Downtown Rochester by integrating art and design installations into the space.

Testing summer fun in Downtown Rochester

May 9, 2018General

Spring has finally sprung and the urge to get outdoors is more appealing, and a new initiative in downtown Rochester is adding to that appeal.

Destination Medical Center (DMC) is excited to partner with the Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA) and the University of Minnesota Rochester to bring your favorite games outside for a summer of fun.

Introducing “Games on the Grass.”

“Airglow” lights up the night

October 24, 2017General

Heart of the City will be aglow this November when Destination Medical Center partners with the Rochester Downtown Alliance and Northern Sun Productions to introduce a first-of-its-kind event to Rochester.

Airglow will bring interactive lighting installations, including a 40-foot inflatable igloo, to downtown’s Peace Plaza from November 4-11. The all-ages event will take place each evening from 5-10 p.m.

A bold vision for Heart of the City

August 28, 2017General

At the heart of every destination city is a vibrant downtown, where signature spaces, diverse programming, and enticing events encourage residents and visitors to linger a little longer.

In downtown Rochester, the bold vision for the true Heart of the City is coming to life as designers unveil a new future for the Destination Medical Center (DMC) sub-district where residents and visitors come together to celebrate life, community, health, and wellness 365 days a year.

From Discover and Dream to Design and Do

The Heart of the City Design Team recently unveiled plans for the much-anticipated core of downtown. Their forward-thinking vision for this integral part of the DMC district was received with excitement and anticipation by the DMC Corporation Board of Directors, the Rochester City Council, and the community at-large as they learned of the new plans for the sub-district.

Making change possible: Urban prototyping and Transform

September 23, 2016General

mayo-clinic-transform-symposium-2016-3317

The Mayo Clinic’s Center for Innovation kicked off its ninth annual Transform Conference on Thursday, September 14 at the Mayo Civic Center. But that wasn’t the only location in downtown Rochester where innovation was taking place during the four-day conference.

Coinciding with Transform 2016 was Rochester’s first-ever urban prototyping festival dubbed Placemakers | Rochester Prototyping Festival. Co-organized by Destination Medical Center, Rochester Downtown Alliance, and the Rochester Art Center, the festival featured the creations of 16 teams representing a diverse range of backgrounds.

Experience PlaceMakers | Rochester Prototyping Festival 2016

August 30, 2016General

This September, the landscape of downtown Rochester will take on a new look when sixteen larger-than-life urban prototypes are put into place.

PlaceMakers | Rochester Prototyping Festival will take place from Thursday, September 15 through Saturday, September 17. The event is a collaboration of Destination Medical Center, the Rochester Art Center, and the Rochester Downtown Alliance and is a unique effort to engage local designers, artists, and community members in remaking of some of Rochester’s public spaces.

KIMT: Looking for ideas in downtown Rochester

May 18, 2016General

The downtown landscape of Rochester is ever-changing, and come this September you will see many more creations.

The Rochester Downtown Alliance, along with Destination Medical Center and the Rochester Art Center are putting together what’s called PlaceMakers Prototyping Festival. This year’s theme is health and building the environment.

The idea of this fest is to have creative people come up with ideas to fill physical space. This could be as simple as creating something unique on a cement arch that hangs over a parking garage and restaurant. The possibilities are endless and the festival will take place this September downtown.

View original video >

Exploring prototyping to enhance urban design

May 3, 2016General

Nature, connectedness, and accessibility.

DMC_design-5 — Photo credit: Emma Jeanson

In twenty minutes, those are the three words more than 100 Rochester community members settled on to describe what they believe makes a healthy city.

The rapid-fire brainstorming event was part of a Community Conversation About Prototyping, a public event hosted by Destination Medical Center, Rochester Downtown Alliance, and the Rochester Art Center. It featured Our City co-founders and prototyping festival organizers Ray Boyle and Jake Levitas.

Prototyping 101: Everything you need to know for Rochester’s Community Conversation About Prototyping

April 25, 2016General

Legendary urban design writer and thinker Jane Jacobs once wrote that “cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

With those words in mind, the Destination Medical Center, the Rochester Downtown Alliance and the Rochester Art Center are hosting a Community Conversation About Prototyping tomorrow evening at the Rochester Art Center. The event is free and open to the public, and it is meant to educate community members on experiences from prototyping festivals in California that were organized as a way to reimagine urban spaces in San Francisco and Oakland. Ultimately, we’re hoping the forum will spark some creative ideas about how Rochester’s urban landscape can promote health and well-being prior to our own prototyping festival in September. The event will feature Our City co-founders and prototyping festival organizers Jake Levitas and Ray Boyle.

Free sign up here >

People, places, and experiences: The evolving personality of downtown

April 8, 2016General

Collaboration, commitment, and engagement are what will help us all achieve the collective vision for the future of Rochester, but, according to Jenna Bowman, executive director of the Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA), the people, places, and experiences are what truly shape our community’s personality.