Community Planning and Development

This project aims to encourage economic development and community revitalization along the South Platte River in Denver.  The study will focus on recommendations for the transformation of underutilized or environmentally impaired areas into urban environments offering a variety of land uses including residential, employment, industrial, and recreational uses. This could bring about multiple public benefits, including;

• Economic development associated with new construction that grows both jobs and housing along the river
• Community revitalization associated with connecting appropriate new development to existing neighborhoods 
• Beautification and environmental sustainability achieved through regional stormwater management and improved connectivity to an enhanced river greenway and park system

The study area for this project includes 3,500 acres along Denver’s 11 mile stretch of the South Platte River corridor, including a quarter-mile of land on either side of the river.

The project approach is to study the entire river corridor in Denver en route to identifying up to six opportunity areas.  Each of these areas will be studied within the greater neighborhood context to evaluate connectivity, redevelopment potential, and opportunity for change. Following this analysis, a catalytic site will be identified within each opportunity area that will be the focus of detailed conceptual site-level planning and analysis, including redevelopment alternatives for each site. The end result of these efforts will be a report detailing the results of the study, which will be conceptual in nature and will explore opportunities for new development.

The South Platte Corridor Study is intended to advance important goals and objectives of other major Denver plans:

• Comprehensive Plan 2000: The Comprehensive Plan establishes a vision for Denver's future. Various City departments subsequently prepare detailed plans that are adopted by city council as supplements to the Comprehensive Plan.
  • Denver Comprehensive Plan 2000
• Blueprint Denver Land Use and Transportation Plan: Much of the South Platte Corridor is identified as an area of change intended to absorb future housing and jobs near existing and planned transit services as a sustainable growth strategy.  Future growth in areas of change along the river would allow people to live closer to work and shopping, use trails and public transit to meet daily travel needs, and rely less on automobile travel to get around.  
  • Blueprint Denver (2002)
• River North and River South Greenway Master Plans (RiNo and RiSo) and River Vision Implementation Plan (RVIP):  Encourage additional riverside recreational uses and restoration of natural riparian conditions.
  • River North Greenway Master Plan (2009) 
  • River South Greenway Master Plan (2010) 
  • River Vision Implementation Plan
    • Part 1 
    • Part 2
• Gulch Master Plan: This plan defines a design vision for Denver’s Gulch park system that connects to the South Platte River.
  • Gulch Master Plan (2009) 
• Denver Moves: The South Platte River trail system is a pedestrian and bike route of regional importance.  The plan features numerous recommendations to improve connectivity to the South Platte River Trail and across the river.
  • Denver Moves (2011) 
• Neighborhood and Station Area Plans: Numerous small area plans have been completed for neighborhoods and station areas along the river.  These plans feature detailed recommendations on many topics, including community building, economic development, and connectivity.
  • 38th & Blake Station Area (2009)
  • Alameda Station Area (2009)
  • Athmar Park (2000)
  • Baker Neighborhood Plan (2003)
  • Evans Station Area (2009) 
  • Jefferson Park (2005) 
  • La Alma/Lincoln Park (2010) 
  • River North (2003)