CREJ

/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / DECEMBER 2016

Denver Needs a New Vision, Focus on Neighborhoods

y op-ed piece titled “Denver is a Great City,

So Why the Bad Buildings” was published

inApril 2015 in theDenver Post, followedby

more than 3,000 (mostly positive) email respons-

es over the next few months. This led to speaking

opportunities with dozens of neighborhood groups

and concerned residents, both here, and in cities ex-

periencing similar problems throughout the U.S.

Now that some of our city’s problems have been

identified, it is time to consider how we can empow-

er our neighborhoods by requiring that all new and

remodeled construction achieves more than the min-

imal requirements set forth in our form-based zon-

ing codes. Denver needs a new vision – a vision that

respects our history, our climate and our culture. We

also need a vision that transcends stylistic trends – one

that speaks to beauty, character, sense of place and au-

thenticity.

The time is long overdue for the citizens of Denver to

raise our expectations. We must make it known to our

city leaders, developers, lending institutions and even

appraisers that we will no longer accept the mediocre

design that is destroying the fabric of our neighbor-

hoods.

Creating a New Vision

Creating a new vision for Denver would require set-

ting objectives for the next 20 to 50 years, not just for

today or the near future. We need to decide what we

want to see happen decades from now. That’s what a

vision statement is – a roadmap we can all agree on

that will direct our course, and give our neighborhoods

a voice. A new Denver vision might include some the

following ideas:

1. How can wemake it easier andmore sustainable to

travel from the airport or Union station to our favorite

ski areas? Think about the impact on our tourist indus-

try if one could hop on a high-speed train and arrive in

some of our state’s most popular resorts in less than an

hour. What is now considered a negative (a four-hour,

100-mile trip) would suddenly become a positive – a

wonderful high-speed journey to the mountains.

2. How about turning the Platte River into a primary

recreational space supplemented by complementary

uses? This underutilized treasure could become a focal

point for the city, combining our love of outdoor activ-

ities with our desire to elevate the manmade with the

natural.

3. Or, Denver could establish a timeline for all new

construction to be carbon neutral. Our city would be at

the forefront of progressive, environmentally respon-

sive design. Cities around the U.S. and world would

turn to Denver for its “export” of innovative, newdesign

ideas – a complete reversal from our present position

as a “net importer” of design (at present most of our de-

signs are borrowed from other regions and countries).

Becoming a “net exporter” would not only change our

design culture, it also would raise our collective expec-

tation level. Rather than looking abroad, we would fo-

cus on our own culture, heritage, history and climate

as generators of our design. Our architecture would be

meaningful, authentic and layered with an intensity of

thought currently missing frommost new buildings.

These are only a few examples of what a new vision

that improves the livability of our city could include. It

would also offer a basis for looking deeper at where we

are, and where we are headed.

Focus on Neighborhoods

The best way to raise the quality of life in Denver,

however, is through a vision that focuses on our neigh-

borhoods. As new construction continues to spin out of

control, we must demand higher-quality design that is

thoughtfully integrated into the context of each neigh-

borhood beyond just meeting existing form-based

zoning codes. What is being constructed now (and ap-

proved under our present codes) has already negative-

ly and permanently damaged the character of our city

and its neighborhoods. Thus, Denver’s visionmust have

aspirations that speak to the sustainability of the city,

its neighborhoods, streets and even individual sites and

their adjacencies. Quality of life is tied to character, his-

tory, precedent and sense of place. Just look at Vancou-

ver or Portland to see the impact of design standards

that reach beyond the pragmatics of bulk plane and

mass.

Denver’s vision can speak to, and even achieve, lofty

environmental objectives like carbon neutrality, but

something must happen before we get there. We need

to find our roots, reconnect with the past, and reimag-

ine what our city and neighborhoods can become. Our

architecture must be informed by our surroundings

and what was here before. This is not taking a step

backward. It is just the opposite, if we allow history, cul-

ture and climate – as opposed to greed, speed and need-

less complexity – to informwhat we create.

Positive change does not happen spontaneously.

Neighborhoods must also take more responsibility

for what they will become in the future. They need to

do the research and committed legwork, to show how

they are in fact distinct and special. The narratives

they uncover will lead to descriptions that define what

makes each neighborhood unique. This information

could then be inserted into a revised or amended zon-

ing code, with supplemental neighborhood-specific

criteria.

New Approach to Zoning

A neighborhood design supplement to the present

zoning code might look something like:

“Denver is made up of distinct neighborhoods, each

with their own character and sense of place. Each has

described its character through written narratives and

supportive graphic documentation representing its past,

present and future aspirations. All new and remodel

constructionmust:

- exhibit an understanding of the neighborhood his-

tory, character and physical conditions that together cre-

ate aunique sense of place specific to this neighborhood;

- provide a design solution that contributes to the

Jeffrey

Sheppard

Co-founder

and Design

Principal,

Roth

Sheppard

Architects

Colorado Pulse