Denver Residents Voice Aesthetic Concerns Over New Housing Developments

Denver includes too many dreary, similar-looking developments according to some residents, who are starting to complain that the city's architecture is "fugly." "One-size-fits-all construction is one part of the problem," Amanda Pampuro writes for CityLab. "Many think brick when they think of Denver, but others picture the corrugated metal of industrial RiNo or the stucco builds along Santa Fe," Pampuro writes.

Architect Jeffrey Shepard argues that much of the problem stems from the speed of the growth of the city. In the rush to get things built, aesthetic concerns can get brushed aside. But, he argues, aesthetics are worth attention. "While some shrug off the subjective nature of aesthetics, Shepard says designing beautiful places means acknowledging classical ratios and creating a syncopated rhythm of elements," Pampuro writes.