CREJ - Building Dialogue - September 2016
Whether you’re a professional directly tied to Denver’s development or a city resident taking note of each new foundation or rising tower in the neighborhoods where you live and work, the changing proportions of the city have been bold and brazen. While new buildings have been mocked or mused upon in some publications, there has been only sporadic public messaging and discussion regarding what design and planning measures are being implemented to continue to improve and elevate the quality of slated and ongoing urban development. Queue Denver’s first Denver Design Week, which was held in July. Similar to Denver Start-Up Week in its ambitions to catalyze connections between industry and community, the initiative was presented as a “showcase for the region’s best architecture, interiors, art, brands and technology.” Design Week, an event that is held around the country, served as an important opportunity to bring creative communities together in dialogue, and perhaps most importantly, “connect the public to local design ecosystems.” During Design Week, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel titled, “What’s Next for Denver: Harnessing the Power of Our Built Environment.” Held on a summer evening at Room & Board in Cherry Creek, the discussion included voices from local architects Jeff Sheppard and Tobias Strohe, Denver Planning Director Brad Buchanan and developer Jonathan Alpert. The event included a preliminary presentation from Jeff Sheppard, an hour-long panel discussion, and an open question-and-answer session with the 150-plus-person audience. The intent of the discussion was not to dwell on what’s NOT working regarding Denver’s development, but rather to understand what specific actions regarding zoning, planning, design review, parking requirements, and other urban design and development initiatives are underway to continue to improve the trajectory of Denver’s built environment. Questions were raised regarding the shifting significance of designing for cars (Buchanan and Sheppard agreed that regardless of what type of automated or manual vehicle exists, the most important places in cities are the spaces between buildings, and activating those spaces as a public and pedestrian realm is critical for long-term planning success,) the design review process, heart-and-soul-based zoning, as well as approaches to design that range from short-term pilot programs that quickly test planning ideas to long-term investments in thoughtful “background buildings” balanced with “jewels” (i.e., buildings that might serve as beacons within neighborhoods). There were a few critical takeaways from the discussion that I encourage like-minded readers to consider and explore as a means of taking an active and informed role in helping shape our city; the place that ultimately defines the daily experiences that comprise our livelihoods. These include the following considerations and action items: If there are aspects of and places in Denver you want to preserve or improve, submit your thoughts through the “Denveright” initiative. In 2002, Blueprint Denver was adopted as a supplement to the Denver Comprehensive Plan 2000 as an integrated land use and transportation plan. The plan called for a balanced multimodal transportation system, land use that accommodates future growth and open space throughout the city. Congruently, a campaign called “Denveright” has been launched as a community-driven planning process that “challenges citizens to provide input in how the city might evolve land use, mobility, parks and recreational resources.” The city of Denver is actively seeking feedback through the Denveright campaign (http://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denveright.html). The first step to provide feedback is participating in an online, map-based survey. While macro in its line of global questioning, the survey asks the participant to identify current areas in Denver that have personal and civic value. Survey respondents are then asked to identify areas of the city in which they would like to see improvement. Whether you fill out the survey or submit a comment form, either of these actions can be important first steps in establishing your voice and opinions as a stakeholder at a pivotal moment in Denver’s development. Zoning and design review policies are not static! Both aspects of Denver’s planning and development continue to be revisited in a response to the fluctuating nature of Denver’s “areas of stability” and “areas of change.” While an area of stability is defined as a “stable residential neighborhood” where “no significant changes in land use are expected over the next 20 years,” new development has been directed toward and continues to effect “areas of change,” defined as areas that will “benefit from, and thrive on, an infusion of population, economic activity, and investment” (language from Denver’s “Community Planning and Development” website). For example, if you’ve driven down Brighton Boulevard recently, you’ve likely noticed the influx of restaurants, retail, multifamily housing and office development. An area previously zoned primarily industrial, this area is becoming a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood with increased commercial and residential zoning that continues to transform the neighborhood’s scale, multimodal transport experience and recreational opportunities (ongoing projects in various stages of design or construction include RiNo Park, a river walk and bridge, and a comprehensive right-of-way redesign.) Amidst rapid development, there is talk that a Design Review Board for the River North neighborhood will soon follow suit in response to maintaining the strong foundation of a neighborhood comprised of a highly engaged community of artists and makers. Difficult decisions are being made at a transitional time for Denver. Seek answers and ideas in the form of precedents, pilot programs and productive dialogues between communities and their leaders. In July, the New York Times released an article touting Denver’s continued appeal to millennials. In an article aptly titled, “Denver’s Appeal to Millennials? Jobs, Mountains, and Yes, Weed,” statistics are shared that validate Denver as a city that, described by author John Hanc, has “risen from economic stagnation and urban irrelevance to become a millennial magnet.” The article cites a Brookings Institution analysis that suggests that from 2009 to 2014, Denver had the highest migration of people ages 25-34; the highest of “any metropolitan area in the United States” – averaging about 12,682 new millennial transplants arriving in Denver per year. As if we needed the reminder, national articles and statistics continue to reaffirm that Denver will continue to grow and our city, by nature of new residents and new demands, will continue to grow. My takeaway from Denver Design Week and the inclusive dialogues it facilitated is that while urban development can seemingly occur in silos, smart, long-term growth is better facilitated through active collaboration between invested and informed communities, businesses, and city leaders. Ideally, decisions affecting the built environment should be rooted in a shared consensus and sensitivity to the idea that cities and neighborhoods are places with relevant pasts, presents and a well-informed set of potentials, defined as “future.”