The Denver City Council approved a development agreement and rezoning for a 58-acre parcel along the South Platte River that is currently home to the Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park.

"The River Mile project won crucial approvals of the Denver City Council with votes on Monday night that drew a broad portrait of the district-sized redevelopment plan," reports Andrew Kenney.
The City Council approved a development agreement and rezoning that allow developer Rhys Duggan to move forward with a plan to develop "8,000 residential units and come of the city's tallest buildings," according to Kenney.
Motivated by a desire for the redevelopment to be sensitive to the human scale, the city's planners have created new zoning types for the redevelopment. Kenney explains some of the details of the zoning rules that will guide the redevelopment of River Mile.
The new zoning doesn’t set a specific height limit for the densest parts of the plan. However, building above five floors would also require building affordable units. For example, a 12-story tower with 180 housing units would have to come with 14 affordable units nearby. (Office buildings could pay a fee instead.)
The developer also would have to obey rules to keep buildings skinny and farther apart, which creates a natural limit on height. “As you grow taller, you must grow smaller,” Johnson said.
Jon Murray reported on the project in additional detail at an earlier stage of the process in June 2018.
FULL STORY: “Tall, slender towers”: Denver approves River Mile redevelopment of Elitch Gardens

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie