What can Rochester learn from a city like Birmingham, Michigan? The city – just north of Detroit – has been hailed for completely implementing a plan called New Urbanism. The plan led to the building up of Birmingham’s downtown, higher commercial rent and land values, “complete streets,” and one of the most walkable cities in America.
Birmingham’s commissioner is an urbanist, an architect, and the city’s former mayor. We talk to him about the revitalization of his city, and what he thinks can be applied in Rochester. In studio:
- Mark Nickita, City Commissioner for Birmingham, Michigan, and co-founder of Archive Design Studio
- Maria Furgiuele, executive director of the Community Design Center Rochester
- Roger Brown, creative consultant of the Community Design Center Rochester