Something will be done to help Denver's Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods recover from decades of decline brought by the construction of I-70. Will a plan to bury the interstate be replaced with an ambitious proposal to reroute the road entirely?
Monte Whaley discusses the competing visions for how to "make way for the rebirth of a depressed part of [Denver]" that was severed by the construction of Interstate 70. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) favors a $1 billion plan to bury the highway and cap it with an 800-foot-long deck that could provide park space.
For some activists though, CDOT's plan "is not bold enough to save the Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods."
"CDOT
is really good at laying concrete," said Thaddeus Tecza, a senior
instructor emeritus of political science at the University of Colorado.
"These guys are engineers, and their answer to everything is to put down
a lane of concrete. What they are not really good at is planning for a
community."
"Tecza and Frank Sullivan - a retired biology
instructor at Front Range Community College - in August presented their
idea for realigning I-70 around Denver using the corridor occupied by
Interstates 270 and 76."
At an estimated cost of $4-$5 billion, CDOT nixed the Tecza and Sullivan plan last week. However, according to Whaley, "Tecza is undeterred, as are others who see the
East I-70 corridor as a unique opportunity to revamp north Denver and
maybe beyond."
Read the full story: Planners suggest rerouting I-70 out of central Denver
Denver to Focus on Reviving Long-Neglected Area of the City
A $1.8 billion proposal to bury I-70 beneath a landscaped lid is just part of an ambitious plan to remake a 23-mile corridor of northeast Denver that includes the Elyria-Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods.
Commuting to Denver from Colorado Springs Gets Easier
Thanks to Bustang, an interregional bus service that began July 13, commuters can relax in reclining, high-back chairs or choose to plug their devices into outlets and utilize wifi for the 69-mile trip between Colorado's two largest cities.
Opening of Denver’s New Freeway Cap Park Triggers Gentrification Fears
Local residents fear rising housing costs and displacement with the opening of a new four-acre park built on a deck bridge over the newly reconstructed and widened I-70 interstate.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority