The Design Advocacy Forum is proud to present a digital experiment in placemaking.  As previously explained in our blog, empty and abandoned spaces do not contribute positively to our urban environment, in fact they are detrimental to a vibrant downtown.  With the help of creative individuals--and through the ...more

Raise your hand if you have heard of salutogenic design?  

I can freely admit that I had never heard it before, perhaps because I am not as clued into the health and medical fields (all the while living in the shadow of Mayo Clinic).  I first read ...more

If you are like me, Fridays are time for a little levity.  I enjoy a good email forward, a YouTube viral video, or newspaper political cartoon depending on your proclivity for technology.  This week's Friday hilarity was in the form of a report delivered by consultants to Rochester Public ...more

“You should really cut back on your sodium intake,” your doctor scolds during your annual physical.  While sheepishly agreeing, you can’t help but think about how delicious those McDonald’s french fries are and you even consider swinging by on the way home from the office. 

Good advice—straight talk ...more

Our culture is a voyeuristic one; we like to watch.

From traffic accidents, to reality TV, to police arrests, we can't help but watch what is happening to others.  Lots of industries have used this ...more

The new wayfinding effort led by the City of Rochester and the Rochester Downtown Alliance is a much-needed addition to our downtown.  The effort, identified in the earliest days of the Rochester Downtown Alliance, is attempting to create a comprehensive look and consistency of approach throughout the system ...more

This morning at the Committee on Urban Design and Environment breakfast many great projects were highlighted for their contribution to our built environment.  Among the spectacular list of projects were strong themes of stormwater management, landscaping, and Sustainability with a capital S.

Another unfortunate theme was a ...more

Last year for the Boys & Girls Club or Rochester's A Chair Affair, the Rochester Area Foundation submitted the following chair that was conceived of as an attempt to make a chair from a single piece of plywood.

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For anyone who doubted the adage, "Form Follows Function," the attached images will hopefully illustrate its relevance or truthiness, if you will.  You see there is a phenomenon of building typology that exists in Minnesota (they may exist elsewhere but I have yet to see them anywhere else) that ...more

Much of our built environment is destined for the landfill.  This fact does not prevent us from creating new ways of using and utilizing materials and structures beyond their initial intended purpose.  In fact, this is becoming more of an obligation as we continue to grow more urbanized as ...more