Prosperous, walkable, diverse, distinctive and green.
That’s the vision for downtown Denver over the next 20 years, according to a presentation Tuesday by Moore Iacofano Goltsman Inc., the consulting team hired by the Downtown Denver Partnership to help formulate the plan.
The team will present the final plan document from 2 to 4 p.m. May 3 at the Colorado History Museum, 1300 Broadway. A community workshop will follow from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Five goals aimed at transforming downtown have been identified by the group:
To be prosperous, downtown must become the economic hub of the Rocky Mountain region by attracting growth and investment. It also should develop a comprehensive retail strategy and keep working to ensure that the area is clean and safe.
A public market is on the drawing board. It’s expected to be near the center of the 16th Street Mall, rather than on either end.
The city also must put pedestrians first. A transit hub is key, as is bolstering the use of bicycles. Recommendations include creating bicycle stations and connecting downtown to the regional bike-trail network.
By encouraging a range of people, including families, to live downtown, the city can ensure diversity.
Downtown can stand out by cultivating distinct urban districts throughout and in surrounding neighborhoods – LoDo, the Cultural Core, Golden Triangle, Ballpark, Central Platte Valley, Arapahoe Square and Commercial Core.
The vision also includes building pocket parks and open spaces and using sustainable building materials.
Staff writer Margaret Jackson can be reached at 303-954-1473 or mjackson@denverpost.com.
