Colorado
Fracking Bans Fare Well in Colorado Elections
Fracking bans passed overwhelmingly in the Front Range cities of Boulder, Fort Collins and Lafayette but appeared to be losing by a mere 248 votes in Broomfield as of 11 p.m. on election night.
Missourians May Vote to Increase Sales Tax for Transportation After All
Citizens will attempt to do what the Missouri General Assembly narrowly rejected: raise the sales tax by one percent to fund state, county and city roads as well as public transit. If enough signatures are gathered, it will be on the ballot next year
Is Downtown Denver Too Popular?
Some of Denver's leaders are sounding the alarm over rising household income levels and the threat to affordable housing. But in an editorial in The Denver Post, Vincent Carroll argues that an exclusive downtown Denver is better than the alternative.
Denver Faces Light Rail vs. Bus Decision
The financial data is clear: BRT costs much less to go further and serve far more riders. Case closed, or is it? The Denver Post editors look at HNTB's cost and ridership estimates for the Northwest Rail Line and offer a recommendation, sort of.
Urban-Rural Rift in Colorado Results in Secession Vote
Come November, 11 of Colorado's 64 counties, mostly in northeast, will vote to form a new state. Jack Healy explores what's behind the 51st State Initiative, what set it off, as well as other secession movements, mostly by rural areas in the U.S.
Rebuilding of Roads and Bridges are Key to Colorado Flood Recovery
This month's deluge resulted in damage or total destruction of "an estimated 200 miles of state highways and 50 bridges" in over 12 counties, estimated to cost $475 million. Contracts have been awarded for "initial work to be completed by Dec. 1".
Downtown Denver Has a Case of Development Fever
With construction cranes dotting downtown Denver's skyline, the area's growth is apparent to anyone gazing skyward. A new report released this week on the "State of Downtown Denver" quantifies the area's "unprecedented growth".
Colorado Floats Sales Tax for Transportation
A transportation study group is rolling out a proposal to place a .7%, 10-year general sales tax on the 2014 ballot with two-thirds of the revenue going for roads and one-third for transit. The state's 22-cent gas tax hasn't been raised since 1991.
Juice Up for Free While You Fly at Denver Airport
In a move that may quell 'range anxiety' for travelers, the far-flung Denver International Airport will soon be offering ten free charging stations for travelers to charge their electric vehicles while they're away.
Denver Struggles to Reclaim Civic Center Park
A $15 million investment has so far failed to cleanse Denver's downtown park - part of the city's first National Historic Landmark - of rampant drug use and crime. What more can the city do to speed up change?
Home Builders Sow Seeds for Urban Agriculture
In the Stapleton neighborhood of Denver, developer Forest City has recognized the growing interest in urban gardening by partnering with The Urban Farm Company to offer ready-made raised-bed gardens to homebuyers.
Red or Blue, States Demand Walkable Urbanism
A new study by the Sonoran Institute finds unmet demand for walkable neighborhoods in the western American states of Idaho, Montana and Colorado. In these states, houses in walkable areas sell for markedly more than in sprawling areas.
Colorado Builds a Highway That Discourages Driving
Upgrades to U.S. 36, the highway that connects Denver to Boulder, feature a variety of elements intended to reduce congestion and offer alternatives to the traditional solo auto commute. The effort is being called a "21st-century mobility project."
Subdivisions With Protected Open Space Are More Profitable, Study Shows
A new study out of Colorado State University suggests that suburban homebuyers are willing to pay more for a house in a subdivision that includes protected land.
Denver Micro-Housing Competition Demonstrates Global Interest in Compact Housing Solutions
Although he recognized that Denver does not have an immediate demand for micro-housing, architect Jeff Sheppard launched a design competition that proved global interest in the this hot housing type, writes David Hill.
Going, Going, Gone: High Plains Drains its Water Supply
Years of record drought and more intensive farming are draining the High Plains Aquifer, distressing farmers from Colorado to Texas. Rural communities are suffering from dwindling water supplies.
Consummating the Marriage Between Bikes and Geeks
There may be something to the premise that bike amenities attract young technology professionals. Jayme Moye looks at one Boulder software company that's building on the natural affinity between the two subcultures with a bike-themed hackfest.
Colorado Unshackles Transportation Spending, Auto Alternatives Stand to Benefit
For the first time, a new law allows Colorado's cities and counties to spend revenue raised by the state's fuel sales taxes and license plate fees on projects other than roads and bridges.
Can Transit and Smart Planning Transform Colorado's Poorest Neighborhood?
With a new area plan oriented around the arrival of Denver's West Light Rail line, planners are hoping to spur a transformation of the city's Sun Valley neighborhood. Can the area diversify without displacing existing residents?
Mixed-Use Redevelopment Aims to Bring High-Design to Notorious Denver "Mousetrap"
A $100 million project proposing to create a design neighborhood at a former printing plant adjacent to a notorious interstate intersection is being made possible by Denver's light rail expansion, and the involvement of a renowned architect.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
