Tag: Urban Design

VIDEO: DMC and Rochester: Dollars and $ense of Development Patterns

General

How can Rochester imagine new ways to think about and visualize land use, urban design and economics? Urban3, an urban planning consulting firm, analyzed the public return on investment in the DMC District during Phase 1 (2015-2019) as part of the Five-Year update to the Destination Medical Center (DMC) Development Plan.

In this webinar on October 7, 2020, Joe Minicozzi, founder of Urban3, provides an overview of the results, how they compare to other locations nationwide, and how Rochester can visualize market dynamics created by tax and land use policies.

Discovery Walk: Connecting the District

General

Cities across the country are exploring new and improved ways to design the streets and corridors that connect us to the places we live, work, and play. In downtown Rochester, DMC is looking at options to provide practical, safe, and appealing ways for everyone to move between the six sub-districts.

Most recently, designers for DMC have been focusing on the future of a four-block segment of Second Avenue SW. The corridor – which extends south from Heart of the City through Discovery Square and down to Soldiers Field – has been dubbed “Discovery Walk.”

“Connecting existing and future assets of downtown is essential,” says Patrick Seeb, director of economic development and placemaking for the initiative’s Economic Development Agency. “Discovery Walk will be an integral piece of the greater plan for the DMC District.”

Discovery Walk is among several downtown streets to be redesigned as part of the DMC initiative.

City leaders gather for site visit to Twin Cities

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Cities at any stage of development can benefit greatly from sharing ideas with and learning from other communities.

For the second year in a row, more than 40 leaders from organizations in and around Rochester traveled to the Twin Cities for a DMC-organized site visit. This year’s trip focused on topics of transportation and public spaces and included discussions and presentations from key experts in those fields. Attendees included staff from the DMC Economic Development Agency (EDA) staff, the City of Rochester, Mayo Clinic, Coen+Partners, RSP Architects, the University of Minnesota, the Rochester International Airport, and other local organizations.

DMC seeks community input in next steps for St. Marys Place and 2nd Street

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The DMC sub-district known as St. Marys Place has received a great deal of attention of late. With several new development projects under consideration or in the works, DMC needs your help.

Several months ago, in collaboration with the City of Rochester and a team of stakeholders, DMC began a design process for the public realm and infrastructure for the area and the 2nd Street Corridor.

Contextual map of area
Contextual map of area

The process began by assembling and analyzing existing and new data. This served as the foundation for a recent “Design Sprint,” which involved three teams of stakeholders who were asked to explore and develop concepts to address design issues, such as transportation, parking, commercial districts, and neighborhood connections. Each team took on a different point of view for design considerations. One group took on the perspective of patients, visitors, and St. Marys employees; another, adjacent business and property owners; and the third, nearby neighborhoods.

Destination Medical Center Corporation Board Discusses Major Milestone for Discovery Square and other DMC Progress

Press Releases

ROCHESTER, Minn. (June 23, 2016) – At today’s board meeting, the Destination Medical Center (DMC) Corporation Board of Directors discussed Mayo Clinic’s recent announcement of a major milestone for DMC’s Discovery Square; highlights from this year’s BIO International Convention; DMC urban design guidelines; and updates on DMC priorities, including Heart of the City and transportation.

“Mayo Clinic’s investment in Discovery Square is an exciting step for the City of Rochester. Discovery Square will propel the development of innovative ideas, products, and businesses in southeast Minnesota,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith, DMC Corporation Board Chair. “We are well-positioned to make Rochester ‘America’s City for Health’ and the world’s premier destination for health and wellness.”

DMC Design Guidelines

General

With Mayo Clinic defining its landscape, Rochester has always been a place where health is front-and-center.

americas city for healthBut a primary goal for the Destination Medical Center is to transform Rochester into America’s City for Health where residents and visitors will, literally, walk the walk when it comes to wellness.

Guidelines developed by the University of Minnesota Design Center that are meant to help DMC and the City of Rochester meet those goals will be open for public comment Thursday.

“We want Rochester to be a place where local infrastructure encourages a healthy lifestyle,” said DMC Executive Director Lisa Clarke. “That may mean designing neighborhoods streets that promote walking over driving, for instance.

Click here to read more about the guidelines and how to view them.

Exploring prototyping to enhance urban design

General

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.