Episode Details

How can we make downtown Rochester more walkable — and how could that transform the area? We explore those questions with guests from Reconnect Rochester in advance of the group's Rochester Street Films event. This year's film, "Walkable USA," tells the story of Hammond, Indiana, which is working to transition from a city that most people drive through to one that becomes a destination. The team at Reconnect Rochester says Hammond can teach us lessons about how to develop an adaptable downtown that's safe, thriving, and inviting. Our guests help us examine the challenges Rochester faces, solutions that could help drive change, and how realistic those changes are in the current environment. In studio:

• Galin Brooks, AICP, president and CEO of Rochester Downtown Development Corporation
• Erick Frisch, deputy commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development for the City of Rochester
• Mike Gilbert, founder and executive director of Downtown ROCs
• Lourdes Sharp, project manager for Reconnect Rochester

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