Your City Your Voice - Empowering Denver

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Timeline:

  • Summer 2025 - Attend community events promoting survey, gathered 1100+ survey responses
  • Fall 2025 - Host 5 Neighborhood Engagement Workshops, gather feedback about neighborhood groups
  • Winter 2025 - Compile data collected into report
  • Spring 2025 - Draft new RNO ordinance based on report, host listening sessions about draft ordinance

Next Steps:

As we conclude our Neighborhood Engagement Workshops, we will be engaging with RNOs this winter, and will draft a report of our findings in spring of 2026. This report will be used to inform a new draft of the RNO ordinance, which will be presented to all of City Council in late spring/early summer. We will keep you updated with our progress and next steps!

 

What is an RNO? Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNOs) are groups formed by residents and property owners within a neighborhood to address community needs, plan events, work on projects, and discuss key updates. Most RNOs meet on a monthly basis with additional meetings for Board members and special committees. Some neighborhoods have multiple RNOs, and some only have one. Click here to view the Denver webpage on RNOs and see the RNOs in your neighborhood.

According to the Denver Code of Ordinances, RNOs were first created in 1979 to improve the flow of information between the city agencies/departments and the neighborhood. This communication was intended to inform city-wide decisions that affect the neighborhoods in Denver. Since their inception RNOs have played many roles, and as the City of Denver continues to evolve and grow, City Council seeks to better understand how to both support RNOs and ensure that they are open and accessible to all Denverites.

To register with the city as an RNO, organizations must meet a set of eligibility requirements in the Denver Revised Municipal Code that were written in the 1970's and have not been touched since. Councilmembers Gonzales-Gutierrez and Kashmann are embarking on the large, yet vital process of bringing this ordinance into the 21st century by having as many conversations with everyday Denverites as possible to see how RNOs can be a beneficial tool in our civic toolbelt.

GET INVOLVED TODAY! Click here to take the survey, visit us at any number of community events this summer, or join your local RNO. Questions or comments? Email us at yourcityyourvoice@denvergov.org.

Click here to view Dr Makarowitz's study on RNOs.(PDF, 9MB)

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