Briefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.
As mayor, my top priority will be public safety. Denverites and visitors deserve to feel safe in our neighborhoods, parks, and streets and I will commit to rebuilding and improving our Public Safety Department. We will invest in training, hiring, and retaining officers, as well as funding the STAR program so that co-responders can address issues related to mental health and substance use, which will allow our police to perform their core functions: preventing, responding to, and solving crimes. A safer Denver is possible with targeted gun crime prevention, increased patrol of hot-spots, and robust accountability.
What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?
In short, we must quickly build more housing along transit corridors. Every Denverite’s day-to-day experience is inextricably dependent on how they get from where they live to where they’re going. Denver housing has been shaped by siloed zoning, delayed permitting and developed without taking advantage of the benefits of close coordination with transit development. As a result, we have dispersed development and insufficient transit options. We need systemic solutions to realize the benefits of combined housing and multimodal transit: an interconnected and easily traversable city with tens of thousands of additional housing units.
Do you support redevelopment at the Park Hill golf course property? Why or why not?
Yes, I support redeveloping the golf course property. Due to its size, developing the Park Hill Golf Course is an enormous opportunity to provide many overlapping benefits for the community by creating a dynamic park for residents and neighbors to enjoy, and amenities like a badly needed grocery store. The plan includes building a mix of affordable housing near transit and the creation of a significant new city park, all of which will serve the people of Denver better than an out-of-use golf course. I support the Community Benefits Agreements and look forward to ensuring those promises are kept.
What should Denver leaders do to revitalize downtown Denver?
With enhancing public safety as my top priority, I know we can revitalize downtown. We will focus on growing the downtown economy, using placemaking strategies that make downtown more inviting, expanding housing opportunities, and capitalizing on downtown’s cultural, civic, and entertainment assets to further support the vibrant environment needed for a thriving city center. We know that increasing population density downtown brings safety benefits because the presence of people deters criminals, so I am excited to see the impact of the Elitch Gardens redevelopment, among other projects that are currently underway. Denver has made great investments from Union Station to RiNo, and now we need to focus on connecting them thoughtfully.
What is Denver’s greatest public safety concern and what should be done about it?
For me, public safety and public health are closely linked. Both the city’s Parks Department and Public Health Department contributed to the decision to close Civic Center Park in 2021 because of extreme public health risks that the encampments posed to their residents and to the broader public. I supported that decision. Folks living in encampments are in inherently dangerous situations and I want to help the unhoused quickly and efficiently access services they need.
Should neighborhoods help absorb population growth through permissive zoning, or do you favor protections for single-family neighborhoods?
I support using accessory dwellings and creative solutions to add density in our neighborhoods. Building denser communities leads to benefits like reducing emissions, easing the housing shortage, reducing segregation, and reducing homelessness. Having options for folks to live in our city–across income levels–makes neighborhoods more equitable, more diverse, and ultimately more dynamic. Housing affordability is a matter of supply and demand, and creating more housing stock is one of the best ways to decrease the upward pressure on prices. Recent home prices in Denver have had an exclusionary impact and folks should be able to live near their work.
Should the city’s policy of sweeping homeless encampments continue unchanged? Why or why not?
The status quo is not working. It is clear that Denver needs a new leader to make real progress on addressing homelessness and ensuring our streets, sidewalks and public areas are open for all Denverites to utilize. As mayor, I will reevaluate Denver’s failing approach to homelessness, reimagine systems to disrupt the cycles perpetuating the problem, and reinforce the existing laws and regulations to ensure that everyone in Denver, housed or unhoused, stays safe. A key part of my homelessness plan is to audit existing programs because we are spending enormous amounts of money without getting results we all deserve.
Should Denver change its snow plowing policy? Why or why not.
We badly need to update our plowing policy by using the latest climate data to craft a new approach. Ensuring infrastructure is safe and usable is the city’s job. We’re leaving too many of our neighbors behind when we ignore it. If people using wheelchairs, kids going to school, or parents pushing strollers cannot get around for weeks because of thick sheets of snow and ice, we need to fix it. Cities with comparable budgets are doing better than Denver. As mayor, I will work with DOTI to reimagine and redesign our approach beyond the current failing “solar plowing” policy.
What’s your vision for Denver in 20 years, and what would you do to help the city get there?
I envision Denver as a connected, thriving, dynamic city, with strong neighborhoods, a vibrant downtown and a world-class airport. We can dramatically improve air quality and reduce emissions if we focus on adding population density in areas with high-quality public transit that is electrified. We must enable residents to meet all of their needs by using a combination of highly efficient public transit, connected bike lanes, EV charging infrastructure, and making our streets safer for pedestrians. My systems engineering background combined with my extensive legislative experience will enable me to deliver this vision of a connected, green, dynamic city.
How better can city officials protect Denver’s environment — air quality, water supply, ground contamination? And should the city take a more active role in transit?
With my public and private sector experience, I’m the only candidate who can deliver Denver’s greener, cleaner future. My energy and climate legislation have made Colorado a national climate policy leader. I’ll do the same at the local level as Denver’s next mayor. I plan to add EV chargers, renegotiate with Xcel to protect customers, electrify our transit and heating and cooling systems. I’ll collaborate with Denver Water to promote water efficiency programs and reduce water waste. Through the lens of environmental justice, I’ll address disproportionate pollution in low-income areas. The city must lead the plan to develop transit options.
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