Two Tales Of One City

"After moving at great speed for a decade, Denver’s economy has reached a crossroads. Reacting to the oil and gas bust of the 1980s, the region diversified its economy and invested $8.5 billion in public works such as an airport and a light-rail system. As a result, since 1991, the six-county region has boomed, adding 600,000 residents for a total of 2.3 million. Another million people are expected within two decades. Last year alone, 47,000 jobs were added at a growth rate of 3.6 percent. The diversification came by attracting high-tech firms, which, however, have become suddenly vulnerable to downturn. Lucent Technologies is one of several firms announcing layoffs at suburban Denver campuses and creating rumblings about a real estate slowdown." Editor's note: The full text of this story is only available to members of the Urban Land Institute.

Thanks to Urban Land Magazine