Director
The choices we make when we plan and design our cities determine future opportunities and quality of life for our fellow citizens.
I work to plan, design and implement inviting, interesting, humane and convivial places and spaces that respond to people's needs and aspirations, that foster interaction and connection between us, and build human happiness, prosperity, and health.
Antonio Rosell is founder and Director of Community Design Group (CDG), a consulting firm specializing in bicycle and pedestrian planning, placemaking and urban design, and community engagement. In 2015, he was recognized as "Minnesota Planner of the Year" by the Minnesota Chapter of the American Planning Association.
An Urban Planner and Civil Engineer with twenty-five years of professional experience, Antonio integrates innovation and best-practices in Active Transportation, community design, and citizen participation to facilitate community learning, consensus-building and project implementation. He has led numerous sustainable mobility planning, design and community engagement projects in Minnesota and neighboring states, and also internationally in Mexico and Peru.
Antonio serves as Principal-In-Charge in all CDG projects, leads trainings for engineers, planners and other design professionals on pedestrian and bicycle transportation topics, and serves as Adjunct Professor in the Urban and Regional Planning Program of the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School, where he teaches a graduate course on sustainable transportation.
Select project experience:
- New Ulm (MN) Comprehensive Plan
- City of La Crosse (WI) Comprehensive Plan
- Metropolitan Council (MN) Congestion Management Process (CMP) Analysis and Methodology
- North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) Freight and Rail Plan
- City of Olivia (MN) Comprehensive Plan
- City of Chaska (MN) Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan
- Ramsey County (MN) Victoria Street Roadway and Trail Concepts Design Study
- Metropolitan Council (MN) Mobility Hub Planning Guide
- City of Glencoe Comprehensive Plan
- Rogers (MN) Downtown Plan
- Fergus Falls Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
- East Grand Forks (MN) Land Use Plan Update
- North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
- Aguascalientes, Mexico Bicycle Route Implementation Plan
- Marshalltown (IA) Downtown Master Plan
- City of Edina Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (2007 and 2018)
- International Falls Comprehensive Plan
- Three Rivers Park District West Metro Trails Study
- City of Grand Marais Comprehensive Plan
- Hennepin County Bottineau Infrastructure Advanced Planning Project
- Oak Creek (WI) Safe Routes to School Action Plans
- Rochester Destination Medical Center (DMC) City Loop
- Saint Joseph Comprehensive Plan
- Bozeman (MT) Urban Design Guidelines
- Kenilworth Corridor Landscape Design
- MnDOT TH59 Worthington Corridor Study - Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation
- Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan Community Engagement
- City of Fitchburg (WI) Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update
- MnDOT "Rethinking I-94" Corridor Preservation and Enhancement Study - Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation
- MnDOT Safe Routes To School (SRTS) Planning Assistance (four cycles: 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2016-2017)
- Saint Paul Grand Round Trail Master Plan
- Grand Forks (ND) Land Use Plan Update
- Dale Street Walkability Improvements
- Nice Ride Minnesota Bikeshare Master Planning and Siting Services (2010 to 2019, for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul public bikeshare system)
- Pedestrian / Bicycle Connectivity for MnDOT Interstate 94 Preservation and Enhancement Project
- MnDOT Greater Minnesota Transit Investment Plan
- Hennepin County Active Living Demonstration Project: Hopkins and Brooklyn Center
- City of Brooklyn Park Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan
- City of Bemidji Bicycle Plan
- Regional Active Transportation Plan for Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright Counties
- Ramsey Communities Countywide Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan
- MnDOT Statewide Bicycle System Plan
- Bismarck-Mandan (ND) Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
- City of Eden Prairie Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan
- City of Robbinsdale Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan
- Metropolitan Council Regional Bicycle System Master Study
- Hennepin County Bicycle Transportation Plan
- MnDOT Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Education and Technical Assistance Services
- MnDOT Statewide Bicycle Planning Study
- North Minneapolis Greenways Community Exploration and Facilitation
- City of Maple Plain Trail and Sidewalk Plan
- City of Hopkins Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan
- Bicycle and pedestrian mobility consulting, Edina GrandView Small Area Plan
- Bicycle and pedestrian mobility consulting, Sheridan Neighborhood Small Area Plan
- Bicycle and pedestrian mobility consulting, West Side Flats Master Plan Update
- Bicycle and pedestrian mobility consulting, Nicollet Island - East Bank Neighborhood Plan
- Bicycle and pedestrian mobility consulting, Dinkytown District, Minneapolis
- Community Engagement for the Hennepin County Pedestrian Plan
- SW LRT Transition Station Areas Action Plans (TSAAP)
- Red Rock Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis Update (AAU)
- Wright County Trail and Bikeway Plan
- TDM Plan for Whipple Building Renovation, Bloomington, Minnesota
- Design and Technical Services, Federal Non-motorized Transportation Pilot (NTP) Project, Transit for Livable Communities, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- City of Edina Comprehensive Bicycle Transportation Plan (2007)
- 38th Street and Chicago Avenue Small Area / Corridor Framework Plan, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Lake Street Initiative, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Lake Street and Lyn-Lake Visioning and Design Workshops, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Licenses and certifications:
- Registered Professional Engineer, State of Minnesota
- Certified Planner, American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
Selected publications:
- "Movilidad Sostenible Para Una Ciudad Eficiente Y Amable: La Bicicleta [Sustainable Mobility for an Efficient and Livable City: The Bicycle]." Del Transporte A La Movilidad Sostenible [From Transport To Sustainable Mobility]. Fundación Transitemos, Municipalidad Metropolitana de Lima, and Organización Panamericana de la Salud [Panamerican Health Organization]: Lima, Peru, 2013. Print.
Education:
- Fellow, Intermedia Arts Institute for Community Cultural Development (ICCD), Minneapolis
- Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
- Coursework in Architecture, University of Minnesota
- Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering (BSCE), Florida International University, Miami, Florida
Recent conference presentations and seminars conducted:
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Planning and Design, All-Day Seminar, HalfMoon Education, Houston, Texas, January 2020
- Walking and Biking for All Ages and Abilities in a First Ring Suburb: The Edina Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, Minnesota Conference of the American Planning Association (APA), Brainerd, Minnesota, September 2019
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Planning and Design, Two-Day Web Seminar,HalfMoon Education, September 2019
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Planning and Design, Two-Day Web Seminar,HalfMoon Education, June 2018
- Expanding Community Voice and Engagement in Planning for the Future of Your Transit System, 2017 Minnesota Public Transit Association (MPTA) Annual Conference, Saint Cloud, Minnesota, October 2017
- Making Implementable and Lasting Change Through Community Engagement, Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) Annual Conference, Brainerd, Minnesota, October 2017
- People Powered Planning in Grand Marais, Minnesota, Upper Midwest Regional Planning Conference of the American Planning Association (APA), Dubuque, Iowa, October 2017
- Mobility, Community Design and Cities: the Age of Limits and Our Role in Preparing the Future, Iowa State University - College of Design, Ames, Iowa, October 2017
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Planning and Design, All-Day Seminar, HalfMoon Education, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, August 2017
- Movilidad Activa: Una Apuesta para el Urbanismo [Active Transportation: A Good Bet for Urbanism], Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes Mexico, November 2016
- Planificación y Diseño Orientado a Caminar y Andar en Bicicleta [Planning and Design for Walking and Bicycling], All-Day Seminar, Aguascalientes Mexico, November 2016
- Why It Matters: Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Planning and Design, Florida International University - College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Miami Florida, October 2016
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Planning and Design, All-Day Seminar, HalfMoon Education, Bloomington, Minnesota, September 2016
- Movilidad Activa, Ciudad Saludable: Orientando Nuestras Ciudades Hacia La Movilidad Sustentable [Active City, Healthy City: Orienting Our Cities Toward Sustainable Transportation], Primer Simposio Internacional de Movilidad Urbana Sustentable [First International Symposium for Sustainable Urban Mobility], Guatemala City, September 2016
- Invitando a la Comunidad: Participación Comunitaria Como Base Para Mejorar La Movilidad Ciclista y Peatonal [Inviting the Community: Public Engagement as a Foundation for Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility], Primer Simposio Internacional de Movilidad Urbana Sustentable [First International Symposium for Sustainable Urban Mobility], Guatemala City, September 2016
- When we all can't be in the same room: Working (and engaging) remotely , 2016 Association for Community Design National Conference , Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 2016
- Planning for Year-Round Walking and Biking in Lower-Density Communities , 2016 Winter Cycling Congress , Minneapolis, Minnesota, February 2016
- ¿Y cómo se hace? Planificación de un sistema de bicicletas públicas compartidas [So How Do You Do It? Planning a Public Bike System], IX Congreso Internacional de Transporte Sustentable [Ninth International Congress for Sustainable Transport], Mexico City, October 2013
- Sustainable Transportation: Lessons from the Developing World, Upper Midwest Regional Planning Conference of the American Planning Association (APA), Rochester, Minnesota, September 2013
- Vías Vecinales Dignas y Seguras: Developing a Non-Motorized Transportation Network for the District of Villa El Salvador, in Lima, Perú, First International Bicycle Urbanism Symposium, Seattle, Washington, June 2013
- Complete Streets for Active Living: Some Tools, Approaches and Resources, ASLA-MN 2013 Education Conference, Minnetonka, Minnesota, May 2013
- Engaging Diverse Populations: Approaches and experiences for expanding participation, Minnesota Conference of the American Planning Association (APA), Alexandria, Minnesota, September 2012
- Open Streets/ Ciclovías: Reclaiming streets with a purpose, Minnesota Conference of the American Planning Association (APA), Alexandria, Minnesota, September 2012
- Movilidad Para Todos: Mejorando el Acceso a la Movilidad Sostenible [Mobility for all: Improving access to sustainable mobility], Second International Seminar "Ciudades, Bicicletas, y el Futuro de la Movilidad" [Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Mobility], Lima, Peru, June 2012
- Medidas de diseño para fomentar el uso de la bicicleta como medio de transporte [Design approaches to increase the use of bicycling for transportation], First International Seminar "Del Transporte A La Movilidad Sostenible" [From Transport To Sustainable Mobility], Lima, Peru, September 2011
- Expanding participation and improving project outcomes: Approaches and experiences , Third Safe Routes To School National Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 2011
- Movilidad Amable Siglo 21: La Bicicleta [Livable Transport for the 21st Century: The Bicycle], VI Congreso Internacional de Transporte Sustentable [Sixth International Congress for Sustainable Transport], Mexico City, October 2010
- Recommendations and Best Practices for Encouraging Year-Round Non-Motorized Transportation, Upper Midwest Regional Planning Conference of the American Planning Association (APA), Mankato, Minnesota, September 2010
- Walking and Biking Through Minnesota Winters: Recommendations and Best Practices for Encouraging Year-Round Non-Motorized Transportation, Midwest District Conference of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (MWITE), Minneapolis, June 2010
- Walking and Biking Through Minnesota Winters, Professional Development Seminar for North Central Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (NCITE) and Bike Walk Twin Cities, May 21 2010
- Designing for Pedestrians and Cyclists, Professional Development Seminar for North Central Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (NCITE) and Bike Walk Twin Cities, May 5 2010
- Criterios de Movilidad Sustentable [Principles of Sustainable Mobility], CTS-México and Municipality of Aguascalientes, Mexico, February 2010
- Walking and Biking Through Minnesota Winters, Transit for Livable Communities and Bike Walk Twin Cities, December 2009
- Complete Streets in Long-Johns: How Local Governments Can Encourage Walking and Biking When the Temperature Drops, Transit for Livable Communities and Bike Walk Twin Cities, November 2009
- Designing Streets from the Outside In: Complete Streets and Beyond, Transit for Livable Communities and Bike Walk Twin Cities, March 2009
- Streets are for People, Solutions Volume 3, Solutions Twin Cities, August 2008
- Developing a Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, Neighborhood Sustainability Conference, March 2008
- Emerging and Community-Based Food Projects, Planners Network National Conference, June 2005
Recent training received:
- Sustainable Urban Mobility in Developing Countries, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), April 2012
- Designing Streets for Pedestrian Safety, Federal Highway Administration, July 2007
- Bicycle Facility Design, Minnesota Department of Transportation, May 2007
Boards and committees:
- North Dakota Active Transportation Alliance, Advisor, 2022
- Streets.MN, Founder and Boardmember, 2012 to 2017
- Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition, Advisor, 2010
- Twin Cities Streets for People, Founder and Boardmember, 2007 to 2012
- Bike Walk Advisory Committee (B-WAC), Transit for Livable Communities, 2006
Memberships:
- Professional member, Federación Iberoamericana de Urbanistas [Iberoamerican Federation of Urbanists]
- Professional member, Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP)
- Professional member, American Planning Association (APA)
- Professional member, Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU)
- Professional member, Association for Community Design (ACD)
- Organizational member, Complete the Streets Coalition
Awards:
- 2015 Minnesota Planner of the Year, Minnesota Chapter of the American Planning Association
- Lukermann Prize, University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute, 2001
- Richard Bolan Scholarship, University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute, 2000