DSE-2019-001-framework-F3 - Flipbook - Page 24
CREATING PLACE
Realizing a shared vision requires thoughtful,
deliberate action; planned, before taken. We see
an inexhaustible range of possible Metro Village
participants in housing, office, culture, civic,
recreational, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and
beyond; each village an experience of its own.
N E W D E V E LO P M E N T S H O ULD E M B R ACE
S M A RT G ROW T H P R IN CIP LE S W IT H T HE
F O LLOW IN G O BJE CT IV E S T H RO UG H O U T
D E N V E R S O UT H .
Collectively encouraging the types of assets
desired for specific areas is well-reasoned urban
planning. Establishing a framework for what is
desired and how to encourage it is thoughtful.
Incorporating these shared values into our daily
responsibilities is deliberate.
• Bridge the I-25 barrier by using Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) systems like signal
synchronization and signage, and potentially
adding pedestrian and roadway bridges
While this framework strives to unify objectives,
there are far too many variables to precisely predict
and control what will happen, nor is that the intent.
While respecting the rights of private property, the
authority of government, and the importance of
private investment, we recommend setting course
and sticking to it.
PLAC E-BAS ED I NTERVENTI O NS
• Capitalize on investments in transit,
commercial arterials
• Close the pedestrian gap; ensure safe crossings
at major arterials
• Prioritize First/Last Mile solutions
• Complete bike/ped links, create new links where
beneficially feasible
• Target desired station areas and arterials in
multi-modal efforts
• Create walkable districts within some key
commercial corridors
• Improve office park integration into communities
• Signage, wayfinding, and branding link nodes to
establish place
Transforming the built environment requires
invested partnerships. By establishing clear
objectives for development, this framework
establishes a filter for future planning decisions,
outreach, and inspiration.
• Break down automobile superblocks and provide
multiple paths through station areas*
• Leverage infill developments to create new
public places, pedestrian pathways, and more
diversity of use and purpose
• Build on use of landscaping to create pleasing
places
• Radiate future density from transit stations
• Continue transit station reinvestments
• Increase uses for more residential, retail,
entertainment – cultural and civic
• Create pedestrian districts, where appropriate
• Implement ITS interventions, including bus
rapid transit with signal prioritization, and
increase bicycle, pedestrian and micro-mobility
connectivity
IN S E RT IO N S T R AT E G IE S
Continuing to connect areas on the east and
west sides of I-25 is important. Encouraging
diverse infill beyond office buildings and
connecting the fringes through open,
pedestrian-centric spaces will positively
contribute to the Metro Village experience.
Libraries, cultural amenities, community
centers, health clinics, and workforce
development programs can all be inserted
where most needed and tied together along an
already interconnected spine.
*A planning term related to large “blocks” running the length from arterial to arterial, based upon the distance and speed scales for the
automobile while discounting other modes of transportation. Superblocks were popular during the early and mid-20th century autocentric suburban development, arising from modernist ideas in architecture and urban planning. Planning in this era was based upon
the distance and speed scales for the automobile and discounted the pedestrian and cyclist modes, as obsolete transportation vehicles.
22 DENVER SOUTH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT