In Denver, parkways have a unique and special status in the city. Early city leaders recognized the value of creating and preserving the integrity of the parkway system that interconnected other parks and civic spaces throughout the city. And, through a series of ordinances, parkways were officially designated in the 1950’s and again in the 1970’s. There are 34 parkways designated by these ordinances and these are often termed “designated parkways” to differentiate them from other streets.

Although parkways have a citywide role of connecting important places of the city, most parkways are unique to establish a distinctive character for the surrounding neighborhood. Consequently, there is no typical or standard design for a parkway. Each parkway has a its own width for the right-of-way, distance for set-backs of structures and regulations governing structures and signs. These regulations protect the consistent character of the parkway.

Many of the parkways established before 1948 have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and are Denver Historic Landmarks as historically significant properties. These added designations further recognize the importance of parkways in the history of Denver. The Denver Landmark designation offers a degree of additional protection by requiring special reviews and considerations for new development or alterations affecting the parkways. See the parkway list to find out which parkways are in this category.