The city wants to bring new projects and residents to the downtown core, where 13 million feet of vacant office and retail space await new tenants.
Denver voters approved a $570 million bond measure aimed at revitalizing its downtown district. “The city plans to use the money — approved by over 80% of voters — to invest in housing, support local entrepreneurs, revitalize public spaces and bring in new businesses,” explains Ysabelle Kempe in Smart Cities Dive.
Denver’s downtown, like others around the country, suffered an economic decline during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with foot traffic at 67 percent of 2019 levels and 13 million square feet of vacant office and retail space that could be converted to new uses.
The city will vote on expanding the Downtown Development Authority’s boundaries and the proposed downtown area plan in December.
FULL STORY: Denver to invest $570M in downtown revitalization after voters pass bond measure
How the Post-Covid Reality Is Reshaping Central Business Districts and Urban Centers
U.S. cities are working to redefine their downtowns in response to the “donut effect:” people and businesses abandoning city centers and flocking to suburban areas and beyond.
Office Vacancies Drag Down Property Taxes
Downtown office buildings around the country are selling for much lower prices than before the pandemic, prompting questions about the future of central business districts.
Draft Plan Takes Aim at Downtown DC Revitalization
The plan calls for policies that support adaptive reuse, new housing construction, and improved public parks and facilities.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.
California Bill Aims to Boost TOD
A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.
Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free
According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.
California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways
Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.
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.
Strategic Economics Inc
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service