Denver’s city planning division has finalized six neighborhood plans and is currently working on three more. Your home might be next up on the list.
During a presentation to Denver City Council’s Land Use, Transportation & Infrastructure committee, staff members with the city’s Community Planning and Development department gave a presentation on the status of the Neighborhood Planning Initiative.
The initiative, which launched in 2017, aims to provide a cohesive vision for different parts of the city based on feedback from residents. In conjunction with Blueprint Denver and Comprehensive Plan 2040, local neighborhood plans will act as guidance for zoning decisions and the construction of amenities.
City planners use the finalized plans to ensure new growth maintains current neighborhood vibes and keeps residents in mind, all while balancing equity and the city’s need to construct new housing.
Each plan lumps several of Denver’s 78 statistical neighborhoods into a region. Denver is currently working on plans for the Far Southwest, Southwest and Downtown. Those three plans are expected to be finalized in the fall.
During Tuesday’s presentation, city planners identified the next three regions targeted for neighborhood plans.
Near Northeast
The Near Northeast area plan would include Clayton, North Park Hill, Northeast Park Hill and Skyland.
The region shot to the top of CPD’s list due to a massive impending project: the expected conversion of the Park Hill Golf Course into the city’s fourth-largest park.
“That's going to be a big investment that's going to impact these neighborhoods and we wanted to have an opportunity to do planning around that,” said Scott Robinson, a senior city planner.
CPD also highlighted other major redevelopment projects, like the pending Colorado Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit project and York Street Yards, a former Army medical depot being converted into a mixed-use commercial hub.
Robinson also added that surveys in the area show low equity scores due to poor access to resources and high vulnerability to displacement.
South Central
The South Central area plan would include Baker, La Alma/Lincoln Park, Platt Park, Speer and Washington Park West.
This area is also expected to see major developments in the coming years. Baker will host the permanent stadium for Denver’s unnamed National Women’s Soccer League team. The city also wants to develop Burnham Yard, a former railyard, into its own neighborhood.
“It's also adjacent to the downtown area, and with the approval of the expanded Downtown Development Authority in November, we're going to see a lot of investment in downtown and some of that's going to spill over into La Alma/Lincoln Park and the other adjacent neighborhoods,” Robinson said.
Much like the Near Northeast region, South Central also has low equity scores.
Far Northwest
The Far Northwest area plan would include Berkeley, Regis, Sloan Lake, and West Highland.
Unlike the other regions identified, the Far Northwest isn’t looking forward to a stadium or a massive new park. It will see the construction of the Federal Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit system.
Rather, the city has identified the region because of its lack of neighborhood plans in the past. That means development in the area has only consulted the city’s overarching plans, as opposed to incorporating hyperlocal planning that takes the preservation of the neighborhood’s feel into consideration.
Once again, the Far Northwest also scores low in equity ratings.
What’s next for the process?
CPD hopes to finish the three plans it’s currently working on by the end of the year, which would allow it to launch the new phase of plans in early 2026.
Once that process begins, it will likely take at least a year and a half to finalize the plans and for the city to formally adopt them.
