Advancing Equity in Rezoning

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The Denver City Council has voted to approve Advancing Equity in Rezoning's recommended proposal to update how Denver properties are rezoned to make the process more accessible, transparent and equitable. The proposed changes to the Denver Zoning Code are the result of a 2-year public engagement process that sought to make it easier for affected neighbors and community members to be notified and participate when there is a change to the rules on how a property is used and what may be built on it. The changes will go into effect and be reflected in the Denver Zoning Code on February 25, 2025. 

Rezoning applications that are scheduled for a City Council public hearing after February 25, 2025 will be evaluated with the new criteria. New noticing requirements for rezoning applications will be enforced after February 25, 2025.

Read full press release

Read the Public Review Draft(PDF, 1MB)

Read the Strategy Report(PDF, 1MB)

As Denver continues to grow and evolve, city and community leaders have called for updates to rules for using and developing property. This public process, referred to as “rezoning,” changes what kinds of buildings are allowed on a property by changing its underlying zone district. Proposed updates to the rezoning process include:

Revise rezoning review criteria (the criteria used to approve or deny a rezoning) to remove outdated language and increase clarity. 

• Restructure existing review criteria to focus on advancing citywide goals and plans which better reflect community input as they were developed through robust community outreach processes. 
• Remove review criteria that are outdated, redundant, overly complicated, and unnecessary to improve transparency for developers and residents. 

Create accessible and clear opportunities for public engagement and involvement for all rezonings. 

• Require posted signs on a property when a rezoning application is submitted. Currently, posted notice is only required when a hearing has been scheduled. This change will provide community stakeholders with earlier notice and more opportunity to engage with applicants and learn more.
• Begin notifying tenants when rezonings are proposed. Currently, only property owners receive a mailed notice for rezoning applications. Expanding the noticing requirement will enable all neighbors and stakeholders to learn more and provide feedback. 
• Improve the posted, mailed, and emailed notice materials to make them easier to understand and provide more helpful information. 
• Prepare improved rezoning guides for members of the public. These guides will demystify the rezoning process for community members. 
• Provide a clearer, more relevant analysis of the potential equity impacts of a rezoning, and voluntary commitments applicants can consider to address them. 
• Improve the city’s webpages to make information about rezonings more accessible.

What does "rezoning" mean?

Rezoning is a public process that changes the rules for what you can do on a property and what types of buildings are allowed on it. It usually begins with a meeting between the property owner (or a representative) and city staff, followed by an official application, which is reviewed by city staff, the Denver Planning Board and City Council, which makes the final decision. 

Why update this process?

As the city grows and changes, buildings and their uses change too. Refreshing the rezoning process will allow us to better incorporate Denver's values and priorities as articulated in Comprehensive Plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver, both adopted in 2019. The project aims to improve transparency and access to the rezoning process, consider the impact of rezonings on neighboring residents and properties, and explore how rezonings can lead to equitable outcomes that better serve all community members, such as access to open space, public transportation, housing and employment opportunities.

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About Rezoning in Denver

What does "rezoning" mean?

Rezoning is a public process that changes the rules for what you can do on a property and what types of buildings are allowed on it, as well as rules for the features of structures on a property, such as the size, height and placement on the lot. Rezoning usually begins with a meeting between the property owner (or a representative) and city staff, followed by an official application, which is reviewed by city staff, the Denver Planning Board and City Council, which makes the final decision.

Rezoning applications are reviewed according to criteria defined in the Denver Zoning Code:

• Is the rezoning consistent with adopted plans?
• Does the rezoning further public health, safety and welfare?
• Are there circumstances that justify the rezoning?
• Is the rezoning consistent with the neighborhood context?
• Does the rezoning align with the zone district’s purpose and intent?
• Would it result in consistent regulations for each property with the same zoning designation citywide?

Some applications are subject to additional standards and review criteria. 

See a step-by-step explanation of our current rezoning process

Why update this process?

As the city grows and changes, buildings and their uses change too. Refreshing the rezoning process will allow us to better incorporate Denver's values and priorities as articulated in Comprehensive Plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver, the city's land use and transportation plan, adopted in 2019. Specifically, Blueprint Denver's equity framework calls for:

• improving access to opportunity
• reducing vulnerability to displacement
• expanding housing and jobs diversity

The project will aim to improve how the public is involved in the rezoning process, consider the impact of rezonings on neighboring residents and properties, and consider how rezonings can lead to \equitable development that better serves all community members.

Additional resources and information will be added to this section as the project progresses. 

Project Scope and Timeline

The foundation for this project is Blueprint Denver, a citywide land use plan that was adopted by Denver City Council in 2019 after three years of public outreach. Thousands of residents helped create the policy recommendations in Blueprint Denver, which include these recommendations for equity and rezoning:

• The city should consider adjustments to the applicant-driven rezoning process to better address important topics revealed by the equity concepts – including housing choice, affordability and mitigating involuntary displacement. (p. 31).
• Create tools to increase access to the rezoning process, especially for underrepresented communities (p. 74). 

Scope 

As one of multiple efforts to implement the city's equity goals, this project aims to implement the Blueprint Denver recommendations through a community-driven update to the Denver Zoning Code. This project will not rezone any properties or change any requirements within existing zone districts. The goal is to modernize the rezoning process, standards, submittal requirements and criteria to help advance Blueprint Denver’s equity concepts.   

Process and Timeline

Over the next year, city planners will work with the task force and community members to:

1. identify key issues
2. explore alternatives to address those issues
3. identify a preferred strategy
4. develop draft language for a text amendment to the Denver Zoning Code that reflects the preferred strategy

The project will conclude with the legislative process, which involves the review, public hearings and votes by the Denver Planning Board and Denver City Council. 

Community Task Force and Project Team

Updating the zoning code is a collaborative, community-driven process facilitated by an independent consultant working with city staff and guided by the Community Task Force.

Project Archive

Information and materials from meetings, surveys and other communications and engagement will be available here as the project progresses.