The Next Leader in Regional Connectivity: Denver?

Alex Schafran considers Denver's unique position as a trailblazer in suburban retrofitting and sustainable region-building, as an ambitious mass transit project grapples with a tradition of sprawl and fragmented politics.

2 minute read

November 21, 2012, 5:00 AM PST

By Ryan Lue


Denver may not be the first city that springs to mind when it comes to avant-garde urbanism, what with its sprawling suburbs and historic craftsmans – but it is precisely for those traditionally American qualities that is now poised to reshape the way we think about the structure and hierarchy of metropolitan regions. As the Denver Metro area moves forward with FasTracks, a far-reaching expansion of its mass transit system, municipalities are launching corollary planning initiatives to prepare for the needs of a more regionally connected population.

While Downtown Denver pursues more transit-oriented development, it is suburban retrofitting that promises to set a standard for the regionally-conscious adaptation of suburbs elsewhere in the country.

"Denver is, in many ways, the prototypical 20th-century American city," Schafran writes — "a 'city of homes' (as the urban historian Carl Abbott deemed it), a fragmented and sprawling metropolis where the single-family home dominates land use... most of the region is a phenomenally extensive grid of interlocking municipalities, some of which — like Aurora — occupy space in three different counties."

These patterns of geographic development have produced a complex political backdrop for cooperation between local governments. "The history of incorporation and annexation is like a municipal game of Risk, with the rewards being tax base and territory. Aurora... just east of Denver, is now more than half the size of its more famous neighbor, and prefers to call the region the 'Aurora-Denver metro area.' Given the unprecedented cooperation between rival municipalities needed to complete the lengthy planning process, as well as the popular vote across eight counties to raise tax revenue in libertarian Colorado, we have to thing [sic] of FasTracks as a borderline miracle in American planning."

Wednesday, November 14, 2012 in POLIS

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

March 28 - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

March 28 - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

March 28 - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.