Urban Design, Design Review, Design Standards and Guidelines
Zoning provides quantitative requirements to ensure proper placement, height, bulk and use of structures throughout the city. In designated design review districts throughout the city, development is also reviewed using discretionary design standards and guidelines to help ensure compatibility with a special context or to promote unique design objectives.
Design standards and guidelines, and associated design review processes, may be recommended in a small area plan. They are frequently established through the general development plan process, context-specific zone districts, zoning overlays or adoption of new rules and regulations. The Landmark Preservation design review process is established through the designation of a property as a historic landmark or as part of a historic district. Refer to the Development Services map to see what locations are included in a design review district.
Design Review Boards
In some design review districts, an appointed board conducts design review using adopted design standards and guidelines. In others, city staff conduct design review, or a community group conducts design review and makes recommendations to developers or city staff. Denver Community Planning and Development currently staffs the following design review boards:
Design Standards and Guidelines
View and download the guidelines
- 9th and Colorado Urban Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 30MB) - 2012
- B5 Downtown Zoning Guidelines(PDF, 965KB) - 1995
- Belleview Station Urban Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 7MB) - 2007, Amended in 2019
- Broadway Station Development Urban Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 8MB) - 2016, Amended in 2020
- Capitol Hill/Uptown - R4/OD-1(PDF, 842KB) - 1999
- Central Park Design Guidelines(PDF, 1MB) - 1999, Updated in 2021
- Cherry Creek North/Cherry Creek West Urban Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 8MB) - 2012, Amended in 2025
- An amendment to the Cherry Creek North/Cherry Creek West Urban Design Standards and Guidelines is pending. See below for more information.
- Cherry Creek Shopping Center - East End(PDF, 1MB) - 1999
- Civic Center Design Guidelines(PDF, 15MB) - 2009
- Colorado Center Design Guidelines(PDF, 3MB) - 2008
- Commercial Corridors(PDF, 480KB) - 2005
- The Commons(PDF, 49MB) - 2011
- Denargo Market Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 31MB) - 2020
- Denver Gateway Standards and Guidelines - 1999 (updated 2013) (PDF)
- Denver Union Station - Urban Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 14MB) - 2009
- Includes Denver Union Station view corridor
- Downtown Urban Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 39MB) - 2021, Amended in 2023.
- Apply to Denver Zoning Code D-AS-12+, D-AS-20+, D-CPV-T, D-CPV-R, D-CPV-C, D-GT, or Former Chapter 59 B-8-G zone districts (Arapahoe Square, Central Platte Valley-Auraria and Golden Triangle).
- An amendment to the Downtown Urban Design Standards and Guidelines is pending. See below for more information.
- The Emily Griffith Opportunity School Design Standards & Guidelines(PDF, 4MB) - 2016
- Five Points Historic Cultural District Design Standards & Guidelines(PDF, 13MB) - 2016
- Gates East - Lionstone Design Guidelines(PDF, 5MB) - 2007
- National Wester Center Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 15MB) - 2020
- Outdoor Places Private Property Design Guidelines(PDF, 12MB) - 2023
- Streetscape Design Manual(PDF, 2MB) - 1993
- Uptown – R-4-X Design Guidelines(PDF, 574KB) - 1997
- Waldram Diagrams(PDF, 216KB)
Proposed Amendments to Existing Design Standards and Guidelines
Proposed amendments to the Urban Design Standards and Guidelines for Downtown and the Urban Design Standards and Guidelines for Cherry Creek North / Cherry Creek West
Community Planning and Development proposes to amend the adopted Downtown Urban Design Standards and Guidelines and Cherry Creek North / Cherry Creek West Urban Design Standards and Guidelines (“the Guidelines”). The purpose of the amendments is to not require a formal recommendation from the Cherry Creek North or Downtown Design Advisory Boards for projects engaged in the city’s expedited affordable housing review process. Additionally, the amendments would exempt not physically substantial changes to existing wireless service or telecommunication facilities from applicability of the Guidelines and Design Advisory Board review in Cherry Creek North/Cherry Creek West and Downtown.
A public hearing on the design standards and guidelines amendments was held on January 29, 2026.
Proposed Amendment to the Downtown Urban Design Standards and Guidelines(PDF, 39MB)
Proposed Amendment to the Urban Design Standards and Guidelines for Cherry Creek North / Cherry Creek West(PDF, 10MB)
If you use assistive technology and would like to access the content in the PDF documents on this page, please contact cpdcommunications@denvergov.org.