Envisioning Denver's Urban Heart

In advance of the anticipated September release of Daniel Libeskind's plans for Denver's Civic Center, a group of Denver-based architects and planners discuss what their own proposals would look like.

1 minute read

July 17, 2006, 11:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"Ever since the Civic Center Conservancy hired architect Daniel Libeskind last fall to come up with concepts to improve Civic Center, the urban heart of Denver has been the talk of the town.

The Rocky Mountain News asked five respected local design professionals to propose the one big idea they think would activate Civic Center. Some stuck to the concept of 'one,' while others envision major remakes of a part of Denver that is key to the history and civic discourse of the city.

[Ideas include]

- A "green ribbon" as a vehicle to increase the tree canopy, create outdoor "rooms," and link other improvements planned for Civic Center.

- Create a strong east-west axis by sinking Broadway under the park and creating a grass mall, with gravel paths on either side, each path defined by an alleé of trees.

- Continue the evolution of our perception of urban space from the grand City Beautiful to a more user-friendly functional environment and offer an opportunity for this space to evolve into a safer, more cohesive environment."

Friday, July 7, 2006 in The Rocky Mountain News

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