The Dtour by Cameron Savois

DOWNTOWN DENVER MASTER PLAN

Fall 2014

CONTENTS 01

Introduction and Planning Context......................................2 Introduction Planning Context Successful Park Models

Existing Conditions................................................................22

Existing Parks and Public Spaces Public Space Daily Activites Pedestrian Circulation Habits Parks Governance Multimodal Access and Connectivity

Public Intercept Interviews.......................................39

Methodology and Surgvey Design Interview Implementation

Final Concept Plans............................................45 Vision, Goals, and Guiding Principles Recommendations Precendence

INTRODUCTION + PLANNING CONTEXT

INTRODUCTION

The following document is a

vision for Downtown Denverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future parks and public spaces. The planning team worked in conjunction with the Denver Parks and Recreation Department, the Downtown Denver Partnership and Design Workshop in creating The Downtown Denver Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan. This plan examines the existing conditions of the public realm in Downtown Denver, looks at park models across the U.S. and then identifies two strategies for creating a brighter future for the public environment.

DOWNTOWN DENVER

Planning Project Studio Study Area Detail

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2,000 Feet

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

DOWNTOWN DENVER

PLANINNG CONTEXT

Denver Parks and Recreation Gamepplan (2003)

an area of influence and the guiding principles include:

The Denver Parks and Recreation Game Plan (2003) will be an integral part of the foundation for implementing The Downtown Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan. The Game Plan is based upon changing work and leisure trends, shifting demographics, and overall priorities and values of Denver residents. The Plan visions Denver as a city within a park, one that is an ecologically sustainable system and that is accessible to all residents.

1. Connectivity and Activity Nodes- improving pedestrian access (Bannock Street), attracting more casual users, festivals in the South Garden

The Game Plan seeks to integrate existing park space into an environmental system that “will conserve natural resources such as water and energy and protect the quality of our air, water, soils, landscapes, and wildlife habitats.” In addition to transforming open space into green infrastructure, the Game Plan aims to weave the public realm together in the city. Not only would this provide for greater geographic equity for Denver residents, but it would also be consistent with connecting public spaces as visioned in The Downtown Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan.

2. Revitalization and Rehabilitation- landscape, infrastructure, McNichols Building as an active space 3. Improving Safety

Civic Center Park Master Plan + District Plan (2005) The Civic Center Master Plan and District Plan (2005) provide a cohesive vision for the future and surroundings of Civic Center Denver. This district is a legacy of the City Beautiful era and a fruitful historic preservation location. These Plans incorporate and connect land use, urban design, multi-modal transit, and open spaces. Key goals and visions for this District Plan:

Denver Comprehensive Plan (2000) and Blueprint Denver (2002) The Comprehensive Plan 2000 and Blueprint Denver are two high-level documents which provide a jumping off point for further downtown planning efforts. The Comprehensive Plan provides guidance for development in the downtown area, an area which it notes has been experiencing a revitalization in the past two decades. Blueprint Denver identifies “Areas of Change” which will experience significant growth. One of these areas is noted to be “Underutilized land near downtown and along the South Platte River.” Some recurring themes and issues brought up in both plans are the need to build off of the success of the South Platte River restoration in future public space development, to promote high-quality urban design in the downtown area, and to continue diversifying and densifying uses in the downtown core.

1. Framework for Public Facilites Core: The Core is located along the Civic Axis (Grant St to Speer Blvd) and Cultural Axis (Acoma St to 12th Avenue). The Core contains civic, judicial and legislative functions. It also includes formal streetscapes and open spaces. Transition Areas: contain private and public developments adjacent to the Core. 2. Grand Avenues- Colfax Avenue and 14th Street, which both connect to Speer Boulevard, are seen as Grand Avenues with an emphasis on multi-modal transit. 3. Civic Center Park Master Plan (See goals below) The Civic Center Park Master Plan focuses on the revitalization and renovation of the historic Civic Center Park. This park is considered

Greenprint Denver (2005) Greenprint Denver outlined a five-year plan from 2006-2011 under Mayor Hickenlooper to increase environmental sustainability in Denver. The Plan encouraged the City of Denver to integrate environmental impact analysis in addition to economic and social analyses when making decisions. The following are guiding principles of the Plan related to parks: Communicate sustainability as a public value Expand the concept of the city as a steward of public resources Incorporate “triple bottom line” analysis into all city policy and program decisions Set clear metrics of success and report progress Pursue activities that support environmental equity and health

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

for all citizens Partner with community organizations, cultural institutions and businesses to achieve broad impact Lead by example in City practice wherever possible The Plan dedicates a section to natural resource stewardship in particular. In conjunction with Denver Parks and Recreation’s GamePlan and Denver Water’s Integrated Resources Plan, Greenprint Denver outlines the following park-related goals: Plant thousands of trees to increase Denver’s tree canopy to 18% Formally designate 100 acres as protected Natural Areas in Greenprint Denver outlined a five-year plan from 20062011 under Mayor Hickenlooper to increase environmental sustainability in Denver. The Plan encouraged the City of Denver to integrate environmental impact analysis in addition to economic and social analyses when making decisions. The following are guiding principles of the Plan related to parks: Communicate sustainability as a public value Expand the concept of the city as a steward of public resources Incorporate “triple bottom line” analysis into all city policy and program decisions Set clear metrics of success and report progress Pursue activities that support environmental equity and health for all citizens Partner with community organizations, cultural institutions and businesses to achieve broad impact Lead by example in City practice wherever possible The Plan dedicates a section to natural resource stewardship in particular. In conjunction with Denver Parks and Recreation’s GamePlan and Denver Water’s Integrated Resources Plan, Greenprint Denver outlines the following park-related goals: Plant thousands of trees to increase Denver’s tree canopy to 18% Formally designate 100 acres as protected Natural Areas in Denver’s parks system Convert hundreds of acres of bluegrass turf to native vegetation Utilize and adequately maintain water-saving irrigation measures Train volunteers as park stewards Improve the South Platte River’s water quality so it meets EPA swimmable and fishable designation

DOWNTOWN DENVER

Additional goals of Greenprint Denver that may also be applicable to its parks include: Reducing Denver’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions Increasing Denver’s recycling rate Constructing solar and methane power plants Expanding the City’s “Green Fleet” to operate vehicles entirely on biodiesel Decreasing automobile use through public transit, and the promotion of transit-oriented development and bike and pedestrian enhancements Achieving brownfields redevelopment on 35 acres Downtown Denver Area Plan (2007) The Downtown Denver Area Plan of 2007 is an update that builds on the 1986 Downtown Denver Area Plan. Although there were many accomplishments in the 20 year span since the 1986 plan, including a significant number of new parks and open spaces along the South Platte River, there are still many challenges to overcome for the study area. These include a broad range of issues related to the pedestrian environment. The plan recognizes that recent trends, both nationally and globally, are aimed at fostering healthy and active lifestyles by providing a quality pedestrian experience and creating an environmentally sustainable future. The plan recommends "1000 small steps" as a way of accomplishing the goals. Taking these small steps will provide the path to a more diverse and resilient future for the city. The overall plan identifies five vision elements with 19 strategies. Of these five main visions, three are directly related to parks and open space development. These include: a walkable city, a distinctive city, and a green city. Civic Center Design Guidelines and Standards (2009) Denver’s Civic Center Design Guidelines are a supplement to the Denver Civic Center Park Master Plan. This document is specific to Civic Center Park, which is bound by Colfax Avenue, 14th Avenue, Broadway, Bannock Street. The document provides standards and guidelines for specific park preservation and restoration techniques, guidance on adding new elements (especially new park kiosks), and describing the criteria that establish the spatial organization of the park. The document also addresses the spatial relationships and circulation within public spaces defined as the “area of influence.” Maintaining and augmenting the historic context, spatial organization, architectural scale, and original design elements and materials is the primary focus of the plan. Each of the major architectural elements within the park is also addressed in terms of historic preservation by

defining “contributing features” as well as defining primary use and the “intent” of the space. Progress on adaptive reuse is especially significant in regard to the McNichols Civic Center Building.

Denver Moves Plan (2011) The Denver Moves Plan is a foundation for visioning a Denver Parks and Public Space Master Plan. Adopted in 2011, Denver Moves is a joint effort by Denver Parks & Recreation and Public Works to integrate a series of off-street and on-street networks to connect existing places and destinations, including parks. The Plan is built upon existing movements in Denver to shift away from automobile travel and emphasize transit and multi-modal forms of moving around Denver. One of the goals in Denver Moves is to have every household in Denver be within a quarter mile (or 5-minute walk) of a high “ease of use” facility, i.e. a safe and comfortable multi-modal corridor. A network of this extent suggests a need for incorporating all public spaces--including parks--into the system of corridors.

Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan One of the proposed facilities in Denver Moves is a “Heels and Wheels” trail that is a wide off-street facility shared between pedestrians and bicyclists. The plan suggests that parks in Denver could provide useful “Heels and Wheels” trails to connect to regional trails and neighborhood destinations. The phasing plan for the project suggests the need to invest in park connectivity. The initial phase of Denver Moves project implementation is to invest “in the connectivity by closing gaps in the existing system, providing geographic equity of biking and walking corridors, and on-street facilities to linking regional parks and trails” (Denver Moves, 2011).

The Northeast Downtown Neighborhoods Plan encompasses the Ballpark and Arapahoe Square neighborhoods, which are part of the study area for The Downtown Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan. The vision of the plan emphasizes “excellent street connectivity, an enhanced public realm, and good access to transit.” This plan focuses on each neighborhood as well as overall “transformative concepts” that bridge neighborhoods and connect the Northeast neighborhoods to the Central Business District.

Golden Triangle Neighborhood Plan (2014)

TRANSFORMATIVE CONCEPTS RELATED TO PARKS & PUBLIC SPACES

The Golden Triangle neighborhood contains some of Denver’s most iconic open spaces and green-ways within its neighborhood boundary (Civic Center Park, Cherry Creek Green-way) along with smaller plazas and public spaces. The neighborhood plan highlights these amenities and seeks to enhance them through strategic planning.

21st Street - Incorporate a bike boulevard, festival street, and innovative stormwater management techniques to enhance the public realm as an organizing element from the Ballpark through Arapahoe Square terminating at Benedict Fountain Park.

The City strives to create a “livable neighborhood” for the Golden Triangle. The City identified goals of connectivity and safety to achieve this designation. To enhance connectivity and safety within the neighborhood goals such as the following have been identified. Create a network of connected open spaces that are connected together by green and functional pathways. Hierarchy of open spaces that address the needs of the neighborhood. Safe and accessible spaces.

Curtis Street - Enhance Curtis Street as an active pedestrian linkage from Curtis Park through Arapahoe Square to Downtown. Broadway - Enhance the pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure for safety and efficiency through Arapahoe Square. New Park - Properly design, locate and program a new park to energize and attract development, meet open space needs, and program out negative uses. This park could be located within the Ballpark Neighborhood or Arapahoe Square.

Programming was an important element the City identified as being a vital instrument in creating a successful public space. A versatile approach to the creation of public space, will be imperative for designing within the odd shaped Golden Triangle. These are strategies that can be applicable Strategically place near active neighborhood nodes Combination of hard-scaping and soft-scape Support a range of activities and events with flexibility depending on season Movable furniture and water elements Parklets Focus on awkward underutilized “Speer Triangles” Improve street configuration for pedestrians and bicyclists Native planting and BMPs for storm-water management Art installations Tactical Urbanism

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

SUCCESSFUL PARK MODELS DOWNTOWN DENVER

Rittenhouse Square Philladelphia, PA KEY FACTS Year Established 1913 (as it appears today) park has been around since the 1600s Size Roughly 7 acres of land (Civic Center Park is 16 acres) Ownership Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (Fairmount Park) Management Non-profit Friends of Rittenhouse Square has managed the day-to-day operations since 1976. They fund two full-time park caretakers Primary Design Features Two diagonal walkways and a large fountain Primary Uses Flower markets, outdoor art exhibits, concerts, lunch oasis for the downtown workforce, local resident open space Adjacent Context 3-15 story Residential, Hotel, and Office Uses (50% single-use, 50% mixed use). Surrounded by busy one-way arterials with bus lines, bike lanes, and large sidewalks

Rittenhouse Square was established by William Penn as one of a handful of city parks in Philadelphia in the 1600s. The park as we know it today was established in 1913 when the French architect Paul Phillipe Cret redesigned the park in the Beaux-Arts style. The park is compact and tucked between high-rise office, hotel, and residential buildings. The park is approximately 7 acres and its primary features are two diagonal walkways with a large fountain at their crossing. The park is host to Philadelphia’s historic Flower Market, as well as outdoor art exhibits and concerts. The park is also used as a lunch oasis for workers in the surrounding Central Business District. Rittenhouse Square is owned by the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation department, and managed through a public-private partnership by the non-profit organization Friends of Rittenhouse Square. Rittenhouse Square demonstrates the importance of a variety of intensive uses surrounding an urban park. Rittenhouse Square is used at all times of day by diverse groups of people. This could be a lesson to apply to Denver urban parks which may need more dense residential uses surrounding them to activate them and keep “eyes on the park.” The second lesson to be gleaned from Rittenhouse Square is the importance of a caretaking organization whose sole purpose is to program, maintain, and encourage park use. The Friends of Rittenhouse Square collect donations and use the money to fund programming and two full-time caretakers.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

Pioneer Courth Opened in 1984, Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland, Oregon is a one acre public space set on a former twostory parking garage. The design of the Square, a brick piazza with public amphitheater, was selected from finalists of a national design competition. Dubbed “Portland’s Living Room,” it now boasts over 300 days of programming per year including farmer’s markets, dance performances, movie nights and holiday events, which Americans for the Arts estimates accounts for $27 million dollars per year in economic stimulus. The Square is managed by a public-private partnership between the City of Portland and Pioneer Courthouse Square, Inc.. The Square has received numerous awards, including the American Planning Association’s “Great Places in America” award and was featured on The Project for Public Spaces’ Best Squares and Plazas lists. Pioneer Courthouse Square is a successful example of converting an underutilized use such as a parking garage into a popular urban space. Moreover, its programming and accessibility because of its central location in downtown Portland and being adjacent to TriMet bus and light rail routes allows the square to be well-frequented. However, Pioneer Courthouse Square also suffers from some challenges. Because the Square has almost no vegetation, it loses the opportunity to filter stormwater and air particles and does not alleviate the “concrete jungle” feeling of an urban center. And after 30 years of use, the Square now requires over $10 million dollars of renovations to repair its water-repellent membrane and cracked bricks. Further, the Square has become a place where young people with dogs and camping gear spend their days asking for money from passersby, thus making the space less comfortable for other groups of people. Nevertheless, taken in conjunction with other parks in downtown Portland that offer different amenities and serve other purposes (such as the Park Blocks, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Jamison Square and Forest Park), Pioneer Courthouse Square offers a distinct and desired experience for Portlanders and visitors alike.

DOWNTOWN DENVER

The Square is a public gathering space from which Denver could seek to learn. Many similarities exist between Pioneer Courthouse Square and Writer Square in downtown Denver. Both offer a brick piazza flanked with retail. In recent years, Writer Square has been looking into how to increase traffic through the Square to connect Larimer Square and the 16th Street Mall. Approaches such as creating unobstructed spaces for food vendors and utilizing movable furniture to remain flexible for an array of programming could enliven the space. Further, costs of desired upgrades could be financed through the selling of personalized bricks, as was done with Pioneer Courthouse Square.

KEY FACTS Year Established 1984 Size 40,000 sq. ft. (one square block) Visits per year 10 million Ownership + Management Owned by the City of Portland, Managed by Friends of Pioneer Courthouse Square, 501(c)(3) Primary Design Features 100% brick piazza and amphitheater with water feature Primary Uses Programmed activities Adjacent Context Light rail station, 8-story hotel, department store, office building, courthouse

house Square Portland, OR

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

Campus Martius originated from the desire to revitalize one of the Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most economically depressed urban centers with an outstanding public space. $700 million in adjacent development has been attributed to the park since its announcement. The park is now a major cultural/entertainment hub for the city. The development of the park represents a success in bringing large employers back into the city from the suburbs. It also exemplifies the economic impacts of investing in not only in public space itself, but in the vigorous programming of that space.

Campus Martius Detroit, MI KEY FACTS Year Established 2004 Size 2.5 acres Visits per year 2 million Ownership + Management Owned by City of Detroit and managed by The Detroit 300 Conservancy Primary Design Features Performance stages, sculptures, public spaces Primary Uses Open space, lunch, ice skating rink Adjacent Context Downtown Detroit, adjacent to 6 major street

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Discovery Green Houston, TX

Discovery Green was brought to the downtown Houston public in April 2008 by the Discovery Green Conservancy. It is a 12 acre park with LEED Gold buildings, interactive art, and a wide range of activities. The Discovery Green Conservancy sees the park as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;window into the diversity of talents and traditions that enrich life in Houston.â&#x20AC;? This downtown park is located across from the convention center near restaurants, cafes, and hotels. It is easily accessible by car, public transit, bike, or on foot. Activities include but are not limited to dance classes, yoga, educational classes, recycling information, food trucks, kayaking, writing workshops, festivals, concerts, animal/ pet friendliness, and movie screenings. These activities allow Discovery Green to be active at all times of day and all times of the year. The park is similar to Civic Center Park in size and proximity to their respective downtowns. Moreover, both parks are located near water, activate cultural experiences, and encourage healthy communities.

KEY FACTS Year Established 2008 Size 12 acres Visits per year + 1.2 million Ownership + Management City of Houston, Houston First Corporation and Discovery Green Conservancy 501(c)(3) Primary Design Features Open space, lake, playground, garden, buildings and restaurants Primary Uses Programmed activities, open space, water activities, social Adjacent Context Convention center, hotel, residential, offices

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

Olympic Sculpture Park Seattle, WA

Olympic Sculpture Park is an important public space that connects downtown Seattle to the waterfront. The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Z-shaped path rises over 40 feet to bridge over rail lines and a highway. The park is owned and operated by the Seattle Art Museum and is predominantly a passive park characterized by large sculptures, native plantings, and iconic views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The design included remediation and capping of contaminated soils. The site sits at the northern end of the Seattle seawall and is designed as an ecological restoration of a subtidal habitat bench for juvenile salmon. The concepts of Seattle area ecology coupled with large-scale sculpture naturally integrate this park into its location. The main take-aways from Olympic Sculpture Park for Downtown Denver are two fold. First: the idea of park as infrastructure, and second: embracing public art to create a sense of place and magnet of activity. Commons park was a similar development model to Olympic Sculpture Park. It was a remediation effort along the South Platte River created to connect the Highland Neighborhoods to Lower Downtown across the interstate, rail lines, and the river. Both parks have an emphasis on native plantings to create habitat, albeit, Commons Park is not as explicitly designed and monitored as Olympic Sculpture Park. Denver also already has a culture of embracing public art. Denverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acoma Plaza, adjacent to the Denver Art Museum, embraces both large-scale permanent sculptures as well as interactive and ephemeral art installations.

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KEY FACTS Year Established 2007 Size 9 acres Visits per year +425,000 Ownership + Management Operations Seattle Art Museum Primary Design Features Sculpture, beach, Z path, views, amphitheater, museum, native plants, shore restoration Primary use/function Sculpture garden, tours, event space, shoreline, habitat restoration, bicycle thoroughfare Adjacent context Within Belltown Seattle, Puget Sound, Seattle Art Museum, mid-rise housing

Bryant Park New York, NY

KEY FACTS Year established 1884 Size 9.6 acres Visits per year 5 million Ownership + Management Operations Bryant Park Corporation, Non-profit private management Primary Design Features Grass center, hardscape perimeter Primary use/function Social interaction, events Adjacent context High rise BID and public library

Bryant Park of New York City is a successful and active public space that is located in midtown Manhattan. It is managed, maintained, and secured by the Bryant Park Corporation, a nonprofit company that also manages the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surrounding business improvement district. The park is operated throughout the year, drawing 5 million visitors per year. Bryant Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proximity to Grand Central Station creates a lively place that is passed through and visited by all ages throughout the day. Out of the 9-acre park, of which three acres are used for the New York Public Library, five acres are designed to entertain and preoccupy all varieties of park-goers. There are places for games such as ping-pong, bocce ball, chess, backgammon, and more board games found in kiosks scattered throughout. Other contributing urban design elements are loose chairs, concessions stands, and public restrooms. The remaining one-acre of the park is the grassy roof of the library archives; the open layout of the grassy middle of the park provides visual access to and through the park from the surrounding streets.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

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Grant/Millennium Park Chicago, IL

KEY FACTS Year Established 2004 Size 24.5 acres Visits per year 3 million Ownership + Management Operations Millenium Park Inc. Primary Design Features Modern sculpture, water feature, gardens, tree-lined path, pavilion, underground parking Primary Uses Urban destination, 500 free events per year Adjacent Context Located on the edge of downtown Chicago between Lake Michigan and Michigan Ave

Originally known as Lake Park when it was founded in 1844, the park was later renamed for Ulysses S. Grant. The park is 319-acres in size and is located between the Central Business District to the west and Lake Michigan to the east. The famed Michigan Avenue runs north/ south along the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s western edge. Millennium Park is a 24.5-acre site located along the northwest corner of the larger Grant Park. The site was formerly home to surface parking lots and rail lines. Under the direction of Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former Mayor Daley, the park was designed in 1997, construction began one year later and was completed in 2004. The final cost of the park was roughly $475 million, which was over budget. Thankfully, there were a number of generous donors, both private individuals and corporations, which contributed roughly $205 million for the park development. The park is mostly tree-lined hardscape but has a number of iconic design elements including: water features, a garden, restaurant, modern sculpture and 11,000 seat pavilion with grass lawn. A number of the same principles that were implemented for the development of Millennium Park can also be used in Denver for future parks developments. Using public funds to purchase privately owned land may be contentious, especially since it would be converted into a park. However, the economic impact brought about from Millennium Park has been greater than the actual cost of construction. While the final cost was nearly $500 million, and annual operations cost over $12 million, the City of Chicago sees over $78 million annually in tax revenue from adjacent retail. Additionally, it is estimated that between 2005-2015 there will be over $1.4 billion in residential development investment in the surrounding area. People are starting to become aware of the economic benefits from parks. Using creative funding programs, asking for donations or privatizing uses in the park might be the future of public park development.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

Times Square is one of the most active public spaces in the entire world. Despite this fact, Times Square has had persistent issues of pedestrian safety/circulation and vehicular traffic. In 2007 after a study done by Project for Public Spaces, many issues were identified and programmatic recommendations and conceptual plans were developed. In 2009 the New York City Department of Transportation implemented a pilot project called “Green Light for Midtown” in which temporary furniture and movable furniture was used to close Broadway to vehicular traffic between 42nd–47th Streets. The wide success of this design application resulted in the DOT’s plan to redefine Times Square to upgrade infrastructure utility, enhance pedestrian safety and improve vehicular traffic, by making permanent the temporary design solutions of 2009. In 2010 Snøhetta was selected by the NYC DOT and New York City Department of Design and Construction to redesign Times Square. “Our goal is to improve the quality and atmosphere of this historic site for tourists and locals, pedestrians and bicyclists, while reducing the traffic impediments so the “Crossroads of the World” will retain its edge while refining its floor.”

Times Square New York, NY KEY FACTS Year Established 2009 Size 270,000 sq ft Visits per year 39,200,000 Ownership NYC Department of Transportation Management Times Square Alliance Primary Design Features 10 granite benches and pre-cast concrete pavers Primary Uses Social gatherinc center and tourist attraction Adjacent Context High-rises, dense urban core

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PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

EXISTING CONDITIONS

EXISTING PARKS + OPEN SPACES

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

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PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

EXISTING PARKS + OPEN SPACE

LAND USE + OWNERSHIP

Downtown Denver has a lot of existing parks, plazas and public spaces. These range from the large signature parks such as Civic Center Park, Commons Park and Confluence Park to smaller parks such as Skyline Park and Benedict Fountain Park. Downtown offers many corporate plazas that, while technically private, are generally available for public use during normal business hours. Public spaces also include the streets, sidewalks, alleys and infrastructure such as the triangles left over from the street grid intersections at Broadway and Speer boulevard.

Parcelized blocks in downtown Denver make up 875 acres, of which 17% of that is used for office, the greatest category of land use. In close second are parking lots, making up 15% or 132 acres of downtown. Public parks and open spaces make up 8% or 74 acres of downtown. The land use map shows some trends in land use. The majority of the office buildings are in the Central Business District (CBD). Just to the northeast of the CBD is Arapahoe Square, which is heavily populated with parking lots. The high concentration of underdeveloped land, such as these parking lots, signaled the opportunity to look into these places for future public space potential. Cultural uses are clustered near the Golden Triangle neighborhood and industrial uses, including transportation and utility uses, are clustered in the central Platte Valley.

The students were given six existing parks to observe daily use and activities, access and circulation patterns, and park governance. These parks were chosen to represent the different types of parks represented within the study area. Some are primarily green, others are hardscape plazas. Some are publicly owned parks and other are privately owned and managed. They range in scale from quite large to very small. And finally the are surrounded by a variety of development scales and uses. Benedict Fountain Park Confluence Park Sculpture Park Acoma Plaza Denver City center Plaza Wynkoop Plaza

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About three-quarters of the total land area in downtown Denver is privately owned. The rest of the land is reserved for public institutions and public parks and open space.

Conditions

Wynkoop

Sculpture

Confluence

Acoma

Benedict

City Center

PARK ATTRIBUTE TABLE

Park Attribute Categorization Parcels

Acres

Percent

Public Private

50 32

89 29

75% 25%

Public Private

35 47

83 35

70% 30%

Small <1/4 acre Medium Large >1 acre

31 28 23

3 18 97

3% 15% 82%

Low Medium High

15 39 28

16 76 26

14% 64% 22%

Civic Commercial Residential

22 47 13

37 48 33

31% 41% 28%

Softcape Hardscape Mix

14 22 46

10 60 48

8% 51% 41%

118

Ownership

Management Size

Context - Development Scale

Context - Land Use

Surface Type

Total

Summary

Next Steps

PARK ATTRIBUTES We created a general attribute overview of the existing public outdoor spaces. The Downtown Denver Partnership provided the basis of this information from a 2011 study of existing public spaces. We received this information via a map and spreadsheet. We verified the data, coded it, and analyzed the information in terms of parcels and acres. Some of the attributes were classified into descriptive categories. These included size, context and surface type. Park size was classified as small (less than Âź acre), Medium (between Âź acre and 1 acre), or Large (>1 acre). Context was broken down into development scale and land use. The Scale was classified as low: vacant, surface lots or one-story structures, medium: 2-6 story development, and high: greater than 6 story development.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

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PARK AMENITIES To better understand the differences between the six surveyed outdoor spaces and the types of uses that they experience, a detailed inventory of park amenities was conducted. It was found that Confluence Park has the highest amount of amenities and Sculpture Park and Acoma Plaza have the least. Fixed benches, trees, and hardscape gathering surfaces were found in all of the spaces. Movable seating, a shade structure, and a playground were each only found in Denver City Center Plaza, Confluence Park, and Benedict Fountain Park respectively.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

PUBLIC SPACE DAILY ACTIVITIES

ACOMA PLAZA

Acoma Plaza is surrounded by cultural institutions: Civic Center Park to the north; Denver Library to the east; and the Denver Art Museum to west. South of the plaza is a residential mixed use area. Given this context -- a cultural area between the bustling downtown and residential areas -- the majority of people in Acoma Plaza were observed to be in transit. The lesser type of use was leisure during the times observed. There were no observations of people eating, buying anything, or engaging in informal organized activities. One security guard from the museum suggested that the plaza open up to commercial activities, such as a food truck or hot dog stand, mentioning that “lots of families come here for the museum, but where is a family supposed to get an affordable meal for their kids around here?”

Benedict Fountain Park is located along 20th Avenue in the Uptown Neighborhood. The Uptown Neighborhood has experienced an influx of mixed-use and residential development in recent years. Surrounding land uses include single-family residential units to the west, low-density multi-family residential to the east and newer mixed use developments to the south. Benedict Fountain Park is the only open space that includes a children’s playground that the planning team studied. The only activities witnessed during the data collection process were leisure and limited eating.

BENEDICT FOUNTAIN PARK

DENVER CITY CENTER PLAZA

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Denver City Center Plaza is located at the corner of California St and 17th St. This quasi public plaza is owned by Johns Mansville. There are two towers that sit on the parcel creating a large building edge to the north and west. The plaza is intended for the employees of the two neighboring buildings to use during office hours. The plaza is a nice respot for relaxation and eating. There are nicely manicured plants and newly designed seating area. There are moveable patio furniture to sit on which allows people to move around for comfort. There is a bus stop on the western edge of the plaza, and a light rail stop across the street, so this area is highly active. The space funnels people to the office buildings and only during the lunch hour do people sit and enjoy the space. There are two cafes that act as ground story activation in each building, but both have their own seating area.

METHODOLOGY After existing amenities were determined, each park was surveyed in person to determine how people were actually using the parks and their amenities, and whether that changed based on day or time of day. Each park was surveyed by a team of two to three people during a weekday morning, a weekday evening and a Saturday, garnering three hours of field research per park. Access points were recorded for 30 minutes. During this time, researchers recorded every person entering and leaving each park access point. To understand activities being undertaken in the park at particular points in time, researchers recorded whether and where park users were eating, engaging in commercial activity, spending leisure time in the park, in transit, or participating in informal organized activities (group activities) during three 5-minute intervals. Upon completion of the survey, all data was entered by the researcher into a custom-designed web-based survey input tool. This tool ensured consistency in entering field data among all eight researchers and made all results accessible to all researchers simultaneously for analysis.

Confluence Park is located at the Confluence of the Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. The park is heavily used as a passthrough space for people to get to and from downtown because the Cherry Creek and South Platte River recreational trails meet in the park. While the park is bordered on two sides by large arterials (15th Street and Speer Boulevard), the park is well-below grade and does not feel as if it is surrounded by a high volume of automobile traffic. The park includes seating areas, grassy lawns, waterfront features, multiple plazas, and plenty of tree cover. This park benefits from a lot of new dense residential development around its perimeter. This surrounding land use tends to keep the park activated at most hours of the day and night.

CONFLUENCE PARK

Sculpture Park is attached to the Denver Performing Arts Complex and adjacent to Speer Boulevard. The prominent feature is the public art sculpture â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Dancers.â&#x20AC;? This park is predominantly lawn area with decorative plantings and an elevated plaza that is scaled for large events.

DPCA SCULPTURE PARK

Wynkoop Plaza spans from 16th to 18th Street and along Wynkoop St. It is adjacent to Denver Union Station, a main transit terminal for RTD and Light Rail. Surrounding land use is mixed used, commercial, retail, and offices. This plaza had the largest footprint of activity and in transit users, 3, 284 people were recorded during the assessment.

WYNKOOP PLAZA PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

Weeknight

Weekday

Weekend

People were observed to be using the plaza for leisure under the trees in the north and on the edge of the library to the east.

People were observed to be in leisure on the plaza. Some were under the trees in the north, outside the entrances to the library and the museums, and on the benches surrounding the public art in the middle of the plaza.

Similar to the weekday, people were observed sitting around the edges of the library and museum, under the trees in the north section, and around the public art.

31 DOWNTOWN DENVER

Weeknight The only observed activity during the Weeknight was leisure. People were generally located along the edges of the park, under trees for shade. Other clusters of individuals included a larger group surrounding the fountain, as well as a few individuals near the playground.

Weekday The total number of individuals recorded during the Weekday session was very limited. Similar to the Weeknight observations, most people were gathered around the edges of the park with an additional group near the fountain. There was also a small group of individuals eating near the playground.

Weekend The planning team observed a large number of individuals within Benedict Fountain Park during the Weekend session. Again, a majority of individuals were sitting around the parks edge and near the fountain. There was a larger group of families surrounding the playground, and there were also individuals eating near the fountain.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

Weeknight

Weekday

Weekend

During the weeknight there were not many people visiting the plaza at all. There were only a few people that were counted that came into the plaza the entire evening. They were leisuring only and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stay for very long. Once the peak work hours have passed there are not many people that visit the plaza at all besides the few individuals who leave work late. There was also only one person eating that was monitored during the entire observation time.

The weekday was by far the busiest, this was due to the observation time occurring during the lunch hour. There were many individuals that were sitting and eating lunch, people sitting together, people talking on the phone, people just passing through, and people just standing around. They were spread out as well, they were occupying every corner of the plaza.

During the weekend there were only three people that were observed doing activities during the observation time. Due to most individuals not working on the weekend there was almost no activity in the plaza. There was one person who was reading on the benches the entire time of the observation and only two other people entered the plaza. These people were security however and were monitoring the plaza.

33 DOWNTOWN DENVER

Weeknight

Weekday

Weekend

During weeknight observations at Confluence Park most people were sitting around watching the sun set, or socializing. There were a couple of people eating and a group of four young men filming a skateboarding video. Most of the people in the park were on bikes heading home from work.

During weekday observations at Confluence Park, the planning team noticed a that the most prevalent activity was leisure. Besides a couple of people eating at the shaded tables by 15th street, most people were either taking in the sun, socializing, or taking a stroll through the park. One man was meditating in the sun on the large lawn down by the confluence of the South Platte and the Cherry Creek.

The planning team saw the most activity in Confluence Park during weekend observations. There was a couple selling hot dogs and drinks from a cart right in the middle of the park, and a number of people were purchasing food from them. There was a high volume of joggers and cyclist moving through the park. There was also a large quantity of people headed to and from the REI that borders the north side of the park.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

Weeknight This Park is minimally used for passive leisure purposes on evenings with a slightly higher population in transit. There are occasionally very large events at this park associated with conventions and arts-related programming, but none of these occurred during our observation periods. There was no commercial activity or informal organized events observed. A handful of people rode bikes (against posted signage) through the park. Additionally, a couple dogs were observed.

35 DOWNTOWN DENVER

Weekday This Park is minimally used for passive leisure purposes during the day, but a fairly significant number of individuals were observed eating lunch during this observation period both on the lawn and on benches on the plaza.

Weekend This Park is minimally used for passive leisure purposes on weekends. Perhaps if the cafes or retail shops were encouraged to grow and spill out onto the plaza more people would use the park before, during and after performances.

Weeknight

Weekday

Weekend

The observed activities for a weeknight in Wynkoop Plaza was leisure and eating around the fountains. Most activity was located around the perimeter of the fountains however, there were several people alongside Denver Union Station.

The weekday activity is consistent with weeknights but experienced more people. Most people spend time in Wynkoop Plaza after work, before headed home or getting on a transit line.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

ACOMA PLAZA The majority of people entering and exiting Acoma Plaza were observed to be doing so on the south end. There was a heavy influx of people going from south to north in the early times of the day, which suggests that users were going from residential areas and/or the parking garage in the south to the office and cultural uses in the north. Conversely, there was a noticeable trend in people moving from the north to the south at the end of the day.

BENEDICT FOUNTAIN PARK The two primary access points for Benedict Fountain Park are located mid-block along 20th Avenue and mid-block along 22nd Street. These two points are connected by a north/south concrete path that bifurcates the park. The mid-block access point along 20th Avenue is supported by a controlled crosswalk. Additionally, 22nd Street has a very low trafficcount. The two primary access points not only support efficient pedestrian movements to and through the park, but they are among the safest ways to access the park. The northern corner access point at the intersection of 22nd Street and Tremont Place saw the lowest access counts, 10%.

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DENVER CITY CENTER PLAZA There are three primary entrances to the plaza, two of them are the surrounding buildings which generates most of the activity in the plaza. The next two busiest access points are due to the light rail station as well as the bus stop. The most active corners are the corners that are widest and most people either pass through or visit one of the two buildings or both.

CONFLUENCE PARK Confluence park lives up to its name. There are many heavily used access points in to this park due to the South Platte River Trail converging with the Cherry Creek Trail. The heaviest uses from the Cherry Creek Trail, followed closely by access from the REI promenade and the South Platte RIver Trails. 15th Street the Plaza seemed to be the least used, but was still very active. 1,233 total visitors were observed during the access surveys.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

ACTIVITY CHARTS

39 DOWNTOWN DENVER

COMBINED ACCESS AND ACTIVITTY CHARTS

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

SCULPTURE GARDEN PARK The primary access point for Sculpture Park is through the Performing Arts Complex Atrium. Slightly less people access through Arapahoe Street and the Champ Street mid-block access points. The corner at Speer Boulevard and Campa Street was very rarely used. The total counts for this park were just over 100 people for all three time periods.

WYNKOOP PLAZA The primary access points for Wynkoop Plaza were through Union Station and 16th Street. The Denver Union Station received 32% of entry and exit and 16th Street had 26%. These access points indicate a successful transit station due to the high volume of peoples utilizing Union Station. The adjacent 16th Street bus line creates a solid connection to and from the transit station for commuters and tourists. Overall, this is a highly active plaza for both tourists, commuters, and locals with 3,284 people viewed during the Access surveys.

DOWNTOWN DENVER

PARK GOVERNANCE SUMMARY Denver’s downtown parks are subject to the same rules and regulations that govern all parks in the City of Denver. Generally, these include: • Prohibition on selling, consuming and possessing alcohol higher than 3.2% • Pets must be leashed and cleaned up after • Prohibition on overnight camping • Prohibition on climbing on rocks or cliffs • Prohibition on entering urban parks between 11:00pm and 5:00am • Prohibition on removing, damaging, or destroying natural feature or improvement • May not disturb the peace • May not start or maintain fires • Prohibition on fireworks • May not fish • May not possess any glass containers However, only particular rules were posted in the parks themselves. Of these rules, the following were ignored by park users: • A number of downtown parks featured signs prohibiting bicycling. However, many people were observed riding bikes in dismount zones, this was enforced at Wynkoop Plaza very heavily but not enforced at all at Acoma Plaza or Sculpture Park. • Downtown parks also frequently featured signs, as well as design features, to prohibit skateboarding. In at least one instance, skateboarding was witnessed near the fountain at Benedict Fountain Park. • Due perhaps to the number of dog owners who walk their dogs in downtown parks, Confluence Park and Sculpture Park both displayed “clean up after your dog” signs. • While the overarching Denver Parks and Recreation prohibition on entering the parks was from 11pm to 5am, parks like Benedict Fountain Park sported signage that prohibited entry until 6am. • Civic Center Plaza indicated that trespassing and smoking were not allowed as it was a private plaza.

In general, there is a very small amount of commercial activity and informal organized activities in downtown’s parks and public spaces. People eating was also fairly low, we attribute this to a lack of food available for purchase in or adjacent to the public spaces. People in transit were by far the most frequently observed activity in the six chosen public spaces. Wynkoop was by far the busiest space with over 3000 people observed during the access surveys. Confluence Park, City Center Plaza and Acoma plaza were all very close in access counts, and Benedict Fountain and Sculpture Park had the lowest counts. We believe these directly correlate with adjacent uses and proximity to transit stations as well as prominent bike or pedestrian trails. Successful Downtown Parks in Denver… • encourage a wide variety of uses • are accessible by multiple modes of transportation • are well integrated with dense and active surrounding uses • enhance the downtown pedestrian network • capture surrounding bicycle and pedestrian traffic • capitalize on unique historical or geographic features

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

FINAL CONCEPT PLAN

Greg Colucci, Waverly Klaw, Jared Pinkus, Cameron Savois FALL 2014

DOWNTOWN DENVER

INTRODUCTION Denver has a vibrant and growing downtown. The State Demography Office predicts an increase in population from 662,670 in 2014 to 857,074 in the year 2040 (Colorado Department of Local Affairs State Demography Office). More specifically, the Downtown Denver Partnership predicts that Downtown Denverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residential population is projected to grow by almost 18% in the next five years and Downtownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s City Center neighborhoods are projected to grow by 12% (State of Downtown Denver, 2013). Metro Denver reports that economic growth has been strong, with 46,000 new jobs added in 2014 after all the jobs lost during the recession were regained in 2013. Office vacancy rates have been low and the average lease rate of $22.38 per square foot is the highest average rate on record, signaling strong interest in starting and expanding businesses in the Denver Metro Area. Most new office construction is taking place in Downtown Denver (Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, 2014). Currently, Denverites have an average of 9.3 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents (Trust for Public Land). With current and predicted levels of economic and population growth, there is a strong need to establish a Downtown Denver Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan to ensure that current and future residents, employees, and visitors have the quantity and quality of open space that can be attributed to a world class city.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

EXISTING PLANS Numerous existing plans contributed to the development of the DTour concept, which were described in Chapter One of this report. Particular information from some of these plans assisted in the specific determination of the route that the DTour will take.

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN Adopted November 10, 2014

Downtown Area Plan

Adopted in 2007, the Downtown Area plan identified a “walkable city” and a “green city.” The seven transformative project concepts identified in the Downtown Area Plan plan were incorporated into the concept plan. They include: 1) bolster economic development in the commercial core, 2) build on transit, 3) create memorable, multi-modal boulevards, 4) enhancing pedestrian, bike and transit connections to adjacent neighborhoods, 5) foster connections between Auraria Campus and downtown Denver, 6) redevelop Arapahoe Square, and 7) restore and reactivate Civic Center Park.

48 DOWNTOWN DENVER

Greenprint Denver

Greenprint Denver was commissioned by Mayor Hickenlooper for the years 2006-2011. The plan promoted an increase in tree canopy, the conversion of bluegrass to native vegetation, greater strides in watersaving irrigation and the concept of volunteers as park stewards. In selecting vegetation and management strategies for the concept plan, these priorities were considered and integrated.

Pedestrian Master Plan

The City and County of Denver Pedestrian Master Plan described Denver’s park history, particularly the vision of tree-lined boulevards and parkways connecting parks that was the basis for the Robinson-Kessler Plan of 1907. This image of “City in a Park” is what the DTour brings into the 21st Century. The Pedestrian Master Plan also identified priority zones for pedestrians. The Bicycle Master Plan Update 2001 and the Downtown Mutimodal Access Plan (2005) identify Wynkoop and Arapahoe Streets as bicycle lanes and routes in Downtown Denver (Downtown Multimodal Access Plan).

Golden Triangle Plan

The Golden Triangle neighborhood is situated just south of the downtown Denver Study area. In 2014, the neighborhood produced its first plan. Goals of the plan include to foster improved access and circulation for all modes of transit, increase mobility options in and out of the neighborhood, and maintain and enhance the established arts community. The plan designed an arts and culture trail, part of which has been included in the concept plan.

Denver Moves

The Denver Moves Plan is a foundation for visioning a Denver Parks and Public Space Master Plan. Adopted in 2011, Denver Moves is a joint effort by Denver Parks & Recreation and Public Works to integrate a series of off street and on street networks to connect existing places and destinations, including parks. The Plan is built upon existing movements in Denver to shift away from automobile travel and emphasize transit and multi-modal forms of moving around Denver. One of Denver Moves’ goals is to have every household in Denver be within a quarter mile (or 5-minute walk) of a high “ease of use” facility, i.e. a safe and comfortable multi-modal corridor. A network of this extent suggests a need for incorporating all public spaces, including parks, into the system of corridors.

EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS Based on an extensive existing conditions analysis described more fully in Chapters Two and Three, it was determined that a majority of downtown park users passed along or through the park for a short amount of time as they traveled to a final destination outside of the park. Capturing users who were in transit and creating the structure that would attract more users to parks was a need that was identified through the existing conditions surveys and interviews. Anecdotal evidence supported the desire for connecting pathways between existing downtown parks. An interview with a family revealed that they had a regular â&#x20AC;&#x153;routeâ&#x20AC;? that they took on Saturdays with their children that included stopping briefly at Wynkoop Plaza before continuing on to the 16th Street Shuttle. The map on the right shows potential routes based on the Downtown Area Plan of 2007, the Golden Triangle Neighborhood Plan and the NE Downtown Neighborhood Plan. These previously identified routes were considered when developing the concept plan.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

GUIDING PRINCIPLES The Downtown Denver Partnership and City of Denver Department of Parks and Recreation conveyed to Design Workshop and the CU Denver Planning Studio five guiding principles for the Downtown Denver Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan. They include: 1. Adaptively Managed spaces 2. Sustainable (Environmentally, Economically, and Equitably) 3. Innovative and Catalytic 4. Responds to the Needs of a Changing Urban Core 5. Addresses Urban Social Issues These principles formed the basis of thinking around what concept would best embody and achieve what the clients desired. By applying these principles at a conceptual level as well as physically in key areas of Downtown Denver, a concept called â&#x20AC;&#x153;the DTourâ&#x20AC;? achieves interconnectivity and linkage as the overarching theme of the Denver Downtown Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan.

50 DOWNTOWN DENVER

CONCEPT Grounded in our existing conditions analysis, our concept offers a reimagined public realm through the establishment of a network of interesting, programmed, ever-changing pathways, collectively called the DTour. The DTour will serve residents and visitors as a destination in and of itself, rather than merely a route to a destination. The DTour is 7.5 miles of carefully chosen streets where the pedestrian right of way (and in some cases part of the vehicular right of way) will be transformed into a heavily vegetated, generously spaced walkway and bikeway. The DTour connects users to existing public spaces and cultural hot-spots while creating a sense of place all its own. DTour stretches along the Cherry Creek Trail and Speer Boulevard from 9th Avenue, across the South Platte River to 15th Street, and then back thorough the heart of Commons Park. The DTour runs along Wynkoop Street through the already pedestrian block of Wynkoop between 19th and 20th Streets and curves right onto 21st Street. The DTour continues down 21st Street until it intersects with Benedict Fountain Park, moves south on Sherman Street, and jogs west along Colfax and south along Lincoln to continue on 14th Avenue. The DTour offers a path through the heart of Downtown Denver along Arapahoe, connecting Skyline Park and the 16th Street Mall to the vast network of pathways. The Triangle Neighborhood is included in the DTour as it travels along Acoma Street from 14th Avenue to 9th Avenue, reconnecting with the Cherry Creek trail.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

PRIORITIES CATALYZE DEVELOPMENT The proposed route of the DTour interacts with notable landmarks of downtown Denver. Civic Center Park and its public buildings, iconic Union Station, Commons Park, and the 16th Street Mall are just a few of downtown’s successful and popular places that the DTour will complement. The even distribution of these popular landmarks throughout downtown suggests that the entire route of the DTour will be used to access them. Consequently, as the DTour will be an enjoyable and convenient route to experience downtown’s landmarks, users will pass by areas of downtown that are currently underdeveloped, such as vacant land and surface parking lots. Underutilized areas such as these will experience more activity, which is a significant factor in assessing the catalytic potential along the DTour. Though in the interim the DTour might see people in transit between one landmark to another, the fact that more people will be moving passed underdeveloped areas will signal opportunities for the development market. Within one block of the proposed DTour route are 72 acres of land classified as vacant or surface parking lot, accounting for over 50% of all underdeveloped land in downtown Denver. More than one quarter of the underdeveloped land in downtown is immediately adjacent to the DTour. With people using the DTour regularly to experience downtown, currently underdeveloped areas adjacent to its route will be significantly more desirable for developers than before its construction. The DTour’s full catalytic effect will be seen most notably on 21st Street in the Arapahoe Square area of downtown Denver. Surface parking lots in this area create a spatial gap – a dead zone – in downtown’s activity and prosperity, affecting a jagged transition between downtown’s vibrancy and the neighborhoods to its northeast. Successful implementation of the DTour will be the zipper that will unionize downtown with its adjacent neighborhoods by spurring appropriate development on both sides of 21st Street.

DOWNTOWN DENVER

ENHANCE CONNECTION WITH NATURE

CREATE MORE PUBLIC SPACE

Studies continue to show that nature positively influences oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mood and level of enjoyment (New York Department of Environmental Conservation). Coloradans already love nature, and the goal of the DTour is to bring more nature into downtown so that it can be enjoyed on a regular basis.

As demographic trends shift, more people will live downtown. Denver needs to increase the amount of public space to prevent an overall reduction in acres of park space per person. This will attract visitors and keep residents downtown over the weekend, rather than seeing them travel to suburban parks. The creation of small parklets along the DTour route, as we ll as the route itself, will help achieve this.

PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLBEING

CELEBRATE BEING IN DOWNTOWN DENVER

The Trust for Public Land detailed a $65 million dollar health care savings from the 171,363 residents who used Denver parks in 2010. Getting people working and living downtown to be more active will promote health and wellbeing to a great extent.

Denver is a great city with many attractions. The DTour can open up opportunities to celebrate being in downtown Denver across the city in new and exciting ways by fostering unique outdoor eating and drinking establishments, spaces for smaller celebrations and events, and by providing a lively route to enjoy the Colorado Rockies play at Coors Field.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

ENVISION THE DTour

INTEGRATION WITH DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS When deciding where the DTour should be located there were many current areas and buildings that were identified that should be adjacent to DTour to see the greatest success. The DTour is strategically placed along areas of interest to help initially activate the DTour and be the proverbial â&#x20AC;&#x153;championsâ&#x20AC;? of the project, since alone they locations people already frequent. After establishing the route of the DTour we realized that there are distinguished districts that currently exist with distinct character, uses, and activities. Seven character districts were identified: Education, History, Commercial, Entertainment, Culture, Recreation, and Mix (all encompassing). The DTour will have different characteristics as you move along it, changing depending on the specific district an individual is in. These districts will not only promote and foster the current character of the areas, but we have identified areas where we see a specific district has the potential to be. The idea of these districts enables the surrounding neighborhood to have some identity and ownership of what happens along the DTour in each district and even each block. This will also allow a seamless integration with the neighborhood and not be viewed as a barrier or boundary of downtown. Each district however will not be completely prescriptive as to what will be in each district. Successful public spaces are diverse in use, activities, and users, and as will the DTour.

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DESIGN GUIDELINES The DTour is an innovative undertaking with a specific vision in mind. In order to achieve this vision, and to support the goals that the planning team has set out, design guidelines are needed. The DTour’s Design Guidelines focus on creating a pedestrian oriented experience, where the safety of the pedestrian is the highest priority. The guidelines balance multi modal mobility and access, with economic development. These guidelines focus in on the public right-of-way but also include specific requirements for building facades and design.

STREET DESIGN

BUILDING DESIGN

General Policies: • Design for Safety • Design for Increased Access and Mobility • Design for Context • Design the DTour as a Public Space • Design for Sustainability • Design for Cost-Effectiveness Expanding on this further, are the general guidelines for Street and Building Treatments

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

LOCATIONS ALONG THE DTour CONVENTION CENTER

14TH AVE AND CIVIC CENTER PARK

District Focus: Recreation and Entertainment Activities: Relaxation Guiding Principles: Sustainability

District focus: Cultural Activities: Art Installations Guiding Principles: Innovative and Catalytic and Sustainability As the DTour follows along the Cherry Creek Trail there will be locations where people can hop off the trail and enjoy one the major interest points along the way. One of those points being the Convention Center, there is easy access from the trail and provides people with many events and activities to do in the entertainment district. One of the more interesting stops along the DTour the Convention Center will have a green roof and provide individuals a respot for relaxation and an opportunity to enjoy the amazing Colorado views. This roof will act as a lawn with patio seating as well as some art installations.

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STATE CAPITOL District focus: Cultural and Education Activities: Learning Guiding Principles: Adaptive Management

The DTour follows along 14th Avenue in the heart of the arts and civic district of Denver. On this stretch, the arts community can use the DTour to increase its visibility and entice visitors to the Denver Art Museum by sponsoring sculptures and other art installations along the walkway. An enhanced walkway with trees and spaces to linger, as well as the addition of a separated east-towest bicycle lane would catalyze this area of 14th Avenue. Improving multi-modal forms of transportation increases environmental and equitable sustainability, as bicycling and walking are no-cost, no emissions transportation options.

The DTour runs adjacent to the State Capitol, providing the opportunity to draw people from the landmark as well as bring people to it. The monumental civic buildings in the area provide a cultural theme that the DTour will use to educate users on Denverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and culture. With adaptive management being one of the guiding principles of the plan, this area could benefit from multiple parties, especially those in the public sector, to work together to manage the DTour. Civic Center Park is majorly experienced as a feature to look at and around at the civic buildings, but with the presence of the DTour, users will be able to experience the DTour in a new way. It is suggested through this plan that an urban garden next to the State Capitol could also be a cultural and educational feature.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

BENEDICT FOUNTAIN PARK

21ST AND ARAPAHOE

District focus: Recreation Activities: Exercise and Play Guiding Principles: Address Needs of a Changing Urban Core

District focus: Cultural Activities: Art Installations Guiding Principles: Innovative and Catalytic and Sustainability

The DTour will have a profound effect in this area. Arapahoe Street serves as a major route between Auraria campus and Five Points neighborhood, in addition to crossing the 16th Street mall. This area, being among a high concentration of surface parking lots, will benefit from having a catalytic linear park passing through it. The DTour in this area will address the needs of a changing urban core by providing a feature that increases availability of park space in an underserved area, as well as provide incentive to developers to seek out adjacent land to buy and develop. As 21st Street has been designated a festival street, the theme of the DTour here is characterized as commercial to signal the opportunity for businesses and retailers to use the DTour to their advantage to promote their business. Additionally, as this area is already underserved, it would benefit from the DTour incorporating urban gardens. The gardens could be used as living laboratories for students in the area learning about food production. The harvested food could serve the schools and the local businesses.

With the goal of the DTour to enhance existing public spaces, one of the parks that the DTour encounters is Benedict Fountain Park. The DTour follows Sherman Street until it dead ends at 20th Ave and abuts Benedict Fountain Park as it continues along 21st Avenue to Coors Field. At this specific location, there are many unutilized triangular parcels that exist along 20th Avenue. These parcels present interesting opportunities for creating new public space. By vacating the streets that create these islands, development can occur and the transformation of these spaces can begin. There are many cities that have found innovative ways to deal with the same issue. Due to Benedict Fountain Park being located within a recreation district, these new spaces can have active uses within them. They can just be softscaped or they can be new exercise areas, or playgrounds, or host some type of game (i.e. chess). Due to the changing demographics of the urban core, these universal active uses can address some of the needs and amenities new families have as well as the aging population.

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ARAPAHOE AND SKYLINE PARK District focus: Commercial Activities: Eating and Shopping Guiding Principles: Innovative and Catalytic and Sustainability

Skyline Park has had its challenges ever since being designed and redesigned. The presence of the DTour on Arapahoe Street will incorporate Skyline Park in a commercial setting to bring the activation that it has been lacking. Much of the criticism of Skyline Park has been around its lack of an urban edge, a side effect of Arapahoe Street being so wide. The DTourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integration with Arapahoe Street will create a two-way street, parking on one side, and bike lanes and enhanced pedestrian sidewalks on both sides. To create the urban edge and activate the area, the DTour will introduce a small-scaled, one floor commercial row along the edge of Skyline Park. Two-way traffic and two bike lanes will increase the amount of people passing through the area, which suggests that the park will fare better than previously.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

WYNKOOP STREET District focus: History Activities: Discover and Walk Guiding Principles: Adaptively Manage

Wynkoop Street has received much attention in the past few years with the redevelopment of Union Station. Wynkoop Plaza has been enjoying lots of activity since the opening of the station earlier in 2014. The street itself is not a through street and does not see much traffic, which signals the opportunity to create an even more pedestrian-scaled street than there is currently. A woonerf is proposed for Wynkoop, which is essentially a curbless street with ballards to separate true pedestrian areas with automobile areas. This addition would effectively extend Wynkoop plaza, suggesting a place that is primarily for people, but where cars are allowed to pass through. Additionally, the DTour would promote the historic theme of this area of downtown, allowing users to discover Denverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past.

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15TH AND SOUTH PLATTE RIVER District focus: Recreation Activities: Biking and Running Guiding Principles: Adaptively Manage and Sustainability

This section of the DTour has a close proximity to the South Platte River, Cherry Creek, Commons Park, Confluence Park, REI and both the South Platte River and Cherry Creek Trail. This area is already a hot destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. Unfortunately, this specific section is currently used as a social trail to connect The Highland Bridge with 15th Street. The vision that the planning team has is to construct a multi use path including a protected bike lane. The pedestrian prominent section will be improved with a boardwalk that will provide plenty of space for walkers, runners, families and everyone in between. The increases usable space will also allow for organized events to take place. Whether it be an art festival or an outdoor recreation class. This new boardwalk will provide the extra space that is currently lacking. The future success of these improvements could even mean an expansion of the boardwalk along the South Platte River into Denverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very own River Walk.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

IMPLEMENTATION

MATERIALS A major asset of the DTour will be its visual character. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists should immediately see that they are moving along (or have just crossed) the DTour. In order to achieve this look, care should be taken to select unique materials and landscaping. Pedestrian walkway materials that are durable, environmentally friendly, ADA accessible, and that allow stormwater infiltration should replace impermeable surfaces along the DTour. Landscaping should include drought-tolerant, low maintenance native vegetation. Plants that produce edible fruit or vegetables are encouraged. Finally, well-branded wayfinding signage should be placed in frequent locations along the DTour route.

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PROGRAMMING

The DTour thrives on programming. Programming can be organized by a number of entities, including the Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Department of Parks and Recreation, business owners along the DTour or even citizens who apply for an event permit. The beauty of the DTour is that any number of activities and events can occur on various parts of the DTour simultaneously, and the options are endless. Here are just a few activities that could occur along the DTour.

TASTE THE DTOUR

PLAY THE DTOUR

GROW THE DTOUR

DISCOVER THE DTOUR

In cities ranging from Portland, Oregon to Louisville, Colorado, the concept of utilizing on-street parking spaces for outdoor restaurant and bar seating is catching on. Promoting these uses greatly enhances the activity on the street and along the DTour. It also offers opportunities for businesses to expand their seating space, and perhaps the volume of their clientele as well.

Live music, whether spontaneous or organized, is a great amenity for those out on their lunch break, walking between errands or out sightseeing. Establishing small waystations along the DTour that are performance-friendly will increase interest and variety on an otherwise standard street. Similarly, offering specific game areas for chess or checkers (perhaps even life-sized game boards like in Sydney, Australia) creates wonderful public gathering spaces.

The DTour sets itself apart from other streets in downtown Denver in part through its vegetation and landscaping. Trees could be fruit trees, and planter boxes could be filled with kale and carrots. The opportunity exists to transform areas of the DTour into urban gardens, both for educational demonstration value, but also to provide a source of nourishment to Denverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residents who may be struggling to make ends meet.

The DTour captures many of the significant landmarks in downtown Denver. DTour users will be able to discover the historic and cultural icons of the city. Similar to the Freedom Trail in Boston, DTourists will be able to travel along the route and discover all the rich history of Denver and its unique cultural features.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

SUSTAIN THE DTOUR Denver, like all towns and cities in the world, needs to curb greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and water use. In order to adapt to a changing climate, the DTour could be a place for drought-tolerant xeriscaped demonstration gardens, provide stateof-the art solar trash compactors, and recycling facilities. These models of sustainability could pave the way for integration throughout Denver.

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CLIMB THE DTOUR It is possible to repurpose the outside of buildings for all types of uses. Typically art is introduced on a side of building, but with the DTour being so unique, why not climb it? Establishing a rock climbing wall on the outside of an otherwise unsightly building would beautify the area as well as provide additional opportunities for its enjoyment.

TAG THE DTOUR Legal graffiti walls have become recognized as deterrents of illegal graffiti because it gives artists a place to express themselves and not have to worry about breaking the law. Denver has a legal graffiti wall in Northside Park and it offers beautiful works of art. Being able to tag the DTour in select locations will offer more places for the art community to expose their art, as well as invite all types of artists.

DEVELOP THE DTOUR

SURF THE DTOUR

RIDE THE DTOUR

SKI THE DTOUR

Places like Arapahoe Square have been plagued by an excessive amount of surface parking lots. The introduction of the DTour will bring an increased amount of people to and through these areas, which will signal market demands to develop the area to serve the influx. Just as Commons Park in Denver was constructed by the City to spur development in the central Platte Valley, developing the DTour will introduce new and purposeful uses in underdeveloped areas.

Many cities including Los Angeles and New York are introducing wifi to outdoor spaces. The DTour would be a perfect place to incorporate wifi stations so that all people would be invited to use the public space even if they are not recreating. This would introduce the concept of having a business office outdoors.

Denver has an avid biking community. While most cyclists spend their time commuting to and from work, often downtown, opportunities to offer a special riding atmosphere can be incorporated into the DTour. Portions of the DTour along 15th Street, Commons Park, and Cherry Creek Trail could feature mountain bike tracks and jumps.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skip the Traffic, Ski Denverâ&#x20AC;? could be the motto for winter programming on the DTour. Many Denverites have moved to Colorado to enjoy winter sports. In designated areas, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing within city limits could offer a unique way to get around town while also enjoying the winter weather.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

POLICY

MANAGEMENT/FUNDING/ PARTNERSHIPS

There will need to be many policy changes for the DTour to succeed. Many policies will have to be created to allow the DTour to exist and some will need to become less stringent. There are many policies that will need to be put into place, but there are a few that are most apparent for the DTour to operate. First allowing permit applications for converting on-street parking to restaurant seating to allow the taste programming along the DTour. This will create a vibrant street presence by building into the right of way and creating more space for the pedestrian.

The success of the DTour will only be possible through appropriate management, funding, and partnerships.

Another is create a new department within Denver Park and Recreation whose sole responsibility is managing downtown parks and the DTour. Downtown parks are operate much differently than traditional suburban parks, but they all are managed and operated the same way. Through the creation of this new department, it will allow new innovative techniques and ideas that will make downtown Denver parks more unique and successful. Another policy would be to allow for commercial uses and transactions to take place in parks. Commercial activity in parks really makes them active, and makes people stay if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re buying food or drink. The integration of commercial activity in parks can really enhance the experience of Denver parks.

Funding Given that the outdoor spaces in downtown have the potential to receive much higher use than other places in Denver, instituting a tax should be considered to directly fund these outdoor downtown places. In addition to businesses and residents of downtown being affected by the tax, rising numbers of tourists would contribute to this fund through paying an additional sales tax.

Lastly for the DTour to work fully there needs to be discussion to change road closure policies. There needs to be a mechanism that allows for the closure of streets for events and activities. The fundamental idea of the DTour is using the public realm as the public space, to make that idea reality closure of streets is necessary.

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Management In recognition that downtown parks possess unique challenges and opportunities inherent to being located in downtown, the Denver Parks and Recreation Department will need to establish a separate Downtown Parks Division. This Division will manage all parks and open spaces in downtown, including the DTour.

Partnerships The Division will work with select partners to accomplish the DTourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational, recreational, and environmental initiatives. A few of the key partners are highlighted on the following page to give an idea of the types of organizations that should be included to help manage, design, and promote the DTour. The Downtown Denver Partnership will be an integral partner for the Downtown Parks Division to connect to the business community. The DTour aims to catalyze development in currently underutilized areas as well as enhance the businesses along and adjacent to the route. The Partnership could help gain support within the business community to guide them to co-manage, use, and program the DTour.

PHASING Denver Water and Denver Botanic Gardens, in conjunction with the Downtown Parks Division, would work together to provide the best Low Impact Development along the DTour as possible. The DTour will not increase the required water quality treatment for the city, but instead act to minimize the amount of necessary treatment; through appropriate placement and best practices of green infrastructure along the route, water quality will be improved onsite. Denver Water and Denver Botanic Gardens will design the DTour in a way that requires minimal maintenance. Not only will the selected tree species require less water, they will add to the carbon sink of downtown, further reducing greenhouse gas effects. Great Outdoors Colorado (http://www.goco.org/about-us) would be a great partner and funder for this project as they routinely aid local governments to meet their outdoor recreation needs. GoCo also has a strong commitment to educating youth and families, which is a significant component for the success of the DTour. Institutional Partners Education is a key component of the DTour. Exposing people to the history and culture of Denver as well as providing opportunities for living laboratories will be an aspect of the DTour that separates it from a traditional urban trail system. Incorporating educational and cultural learning opportunities wherever possible, especially in their respective districts (see District Map), will enhance the DTourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diversity of users; the route will not only be a place for recreation, transportation, and enhanced environmental sustainability, but a place to learn and experience.

Education Denver Public Schools (DPS) and University Colorado-Denver (UCD), represent just two major institutions whose partnership would be vital for the success of the DTour as well as downtown parks in general. DPS could help locate, shape, and program outdoor classrooms along the DTour appropriate for their agendas and the communities. UCD students, especially those in the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) would be great partners to aid in the design and integration of the DTour with the downtown community. Students in CAP use Denver as a living laboratory already in their classes; instructors in Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design would be eager to shape their classes around providing recommendations for implementing the DTour. Culture and History Another key partner for programming the DTour would be the art community. History Colorado and the Denver Art Museum are just two of the institutions that could be involved similarly to the schools. As the DTour seeks to highlight the flavors of downtown (see District Map), the art community would be partnered with to help program the areas along the DTour that have a more cultural and historic theme to them. This would enhance the educational component of the DTour as well as provide the opportunity for outdoor museums, memorials, and art galleries. Extending the cultural and historic foundations of Denver beyond the walls of museums and into the outdoors will enhance the art communities exposure and provide for more equitable access to these important cultural resources.

Phasing of the DTour is based on the balance of minimizing financial risks to the City with encouraging development and public participation. Phase 1: 0-5 years The first phase of the DTour is meant to inspire and create excitement while minimizing costs. This phase includes intersection treatments with new materials based on the surrounding context, Picking 1-2 unique species of trees to line the entire DTour, install way finding signs and begin to program where possible. The initial phase will also allow stakeholders to identify the catalytic sites around the DTour. Phase 2: 6-10 years This phase will build off the success of Phase 1, and will use the capitol generated as a way to finance improvements. The DTour will continue to be built out and improved upon. This includes expanding on the intersection treatments, installing more unique materials along the DTour. Additionally, construction on the previously identified catalytic sites will begin and end during this phase. Programming will also expand based on needs and wants of the community as well as the expanded public space. Phase 3: 11-20 Years The final phase of the DTour will see the complete build out including all vegetation, unique materials, street improvements and programming. During this phase, there is time to identify any new catalytic sites and possible improvements/changes. Phasing the DTour in this fashion will encourage development and excitement while minimizing financial risks.

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN

CONCLUSION The DTour is a bold endeavor; a reimagination of the historic urban parkway system in the early 20th century; a distinct place and an innovative network that will unify the Denver community in celebration of our love for the outdoors. As highlighted in the Denver Moves Plan of 2011, Denver has the need for â&#x20AC;&#x153;...closing gaps in the existing system, providing geographic equity of biking and walking corridors, and on-street facilities to linking regional parks and trails.â&#x20AC;? This, the DTour will accomplish.

DOWNTOWN DENVER

WORK CITED City and County of Denver Pedestrian Master Plan. Accessed at https://www.denvergov.org/infrastructure/DenverPublicWorksPolicyandPlanning/CompletedProjects/PedestrianMasterPlan/tabid/442851/ Default.aspx Colorado Department of Local Affairs State Demography Office. Projected Population growth in Denver by 2040. Accessed at https://dola. colorado.gov/demog_webapps/dashboard.jsf?county=31 Downtown Area Plan. Accessed at http://www.downtowndenver.com/ initiatives-planning/downtown-area-plan Downtown Multimodal Access Plan. Accessed at https://www.denvergov.org/Portals/736/documents/DMAP%2012%2014%202005%20 Final%20Draft%2072dpi.pdf Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. Economic Projections 2014. Accessed at http://www.metrodenver.org/research-reports/ economic-forecasts/2014-economic-update/ New York Department of Environmental Conservation. “Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health.” Accessed at http://www.dec.ny.gov/ lands/90720.html State of Downtown Denver, 2013. Accessed at http://www.downtowndenver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/StateofDowntownDenver_ Web.pdf

PARKS + PUBLIC SPACES MASTER PLAN