What We Do

What are emerging community engagement practices that we could test? How can we better visualize the results of zoning code changes? How can homeowners be encouraged to adopt environmentally friendly practices in their home landscapes? These are just a few examples of CCRD research. We are interested in working with our partners to conduct research that benefits community quality in social, ecological, and land use/economic dimensions. 

What design philosophies guide our work? Community design, public interest design, and regenerative design are all terms that describe the work of CCRD. Community design emphasizes community engagement and participation in the design process, while public interest design addresses the goals of systemic social, economic, and environmental improvements. Regenerative design extends to whole ecosystems, with attention to the care and restoration of our life support systems. CCRD employs a holistic and inclusive approach to addressing complex challenges of our physical environment. 

Program Areas Under Development 

As an organization, CCRD is experiencing its own moment of renewal. As we move ahead, the work described above will remain the center of our practice. The three program areas described below expand upon our strengths. 

Program Area 1: A Sustainable Development and Ecological Vision for Central New York 

Description. The mission of this program is to explore deeply strategic and long-term questions about the future of CNY. For example: What is our region’s vision for community development, housing, economy, ecosystem and human health, biodiversity, civic infrastructure, recreation, and community spirit? Working with communities in an iterative, dynamic, and collaborative way, and through projects across a wide array of scales, we aspire to co-create a holistic vision for CNY for a more resilient future.   

Impact. At this inflection point in the history of CNY, we aspire to offer strategic allyship, thought leadership, and capacity support to leaders from all walks of life. For example: CCRD will work at the local community level to expand planning and design capabilities to address future conditions. In our quest to challenge status quo and limited notions of what is possible, impact will be achieved through creative acts of placemaking that are both incremental and systemic. 

Methods of Delivery. Projects will position municipalities to secure grants for plan implementation and built work, filling the idea-to-RFP gap that currently exists between communities and private sector consultants. Project-by-project at local scales and through workshops, conferences, visualizations, maps, and publications, CCRD will facilitate the development of a regional vision for CNY. 

Program Area 2: Regenerative Design and Planning Practice Curriculum/Knowledge Base 

Description. The mission of this program is to operationalize ecological science through design and connect it to planning practice. The curriculum/knowledge base would: 

• Create a bridge between the Sciences and Design at ESF. We envision a robust interdisciplinary exchange of scientific ideas primed for action and citizen engagement through CCRD. Our positioning in the Department of Landscape Architecture gives us the ability to foster this curation of relationships and knowledge.  B
• Be landscape and community change focused, especially regarding regional-scale systems (socio-spatial, ecological, economic, and administrative/political).
• Employ tools of design thinking, process, iteration, prototyping, fabrication, sustainable materials, and evaluation.
• Use scenario-based modeling to test propositions about the future.
• Value diversity, equity, and inclusion; ecosystem and human health; and community wellbeing.
• Foster development of skills for self-directed learning through immersive experiences within communities and organizations.
• Drive low-cost innovation models. 

Impact. This curriculum/knowledge base facilitates learning and results in greater capacity to restore, renew, and revitalize our communities in ways that embrace the circular economy and support natural processes. The impact will be evident in a more resilient built environment that improves the quality of everyday life through integration of the needs of people with protection and restoration of essential ecosystem processes. 

Methods of Delivery. The curriculum/knowledge base will be delivered through a set of courses at ESF and through position papers, conference presentations, journal articles, workshops, retreats, video essays, podcasts, and other creative content delivery tools. 

Program Area 3: Design Corps - Field Experiences for Students 

Description. The mission of Design Corps is to build an active network of learning, innovation, and impact between our students and leaders across New York through an internship/fellows program. Our vision is to explore design-sciences and an innovation mindset with community groups, nonprofit organizations, and public interest agencies in our region. 

Impact. We seek to foster goodwill, hope, generosity, reciprocity, and community spirit in New York through Design Corps. Additionally, Design Corps is another opportunity for ESF to have an external facing, participatory role in our region. We believe we can create positive change and build a legacy embedded in community through the Design Corps. 

Method of Delivery. Along with project-based work in Program Area 1, Design Corps exemplifies our vision of learning by doing. By being in the heart of action of public offices, community spaces, and public interest entities, Design Corps Fellows will innovate, experiment, iterate, and learn on the job. Prior to their placement, Design Corps Fellows will be trained through the CCRD curriculum on a suite of tools like project planning, conflict resolution, team building, succinct and effective communications of ideas, and leadership skills. Our curriculum will be embedded in the values of community design, public interest design, and regenerative design.