DenverInfill Blog

Congratulations to you and your class! Great job on your new special feature.
 

Out of the cities mentioned in the peer review - I think I admire Portland the most. Connecting our parks and creating a pedestrian friendly city are important in my opinion.
 

Last semester's projects took me a couple of days to read. I can't wait to read these.
 

great feature..

one item of interest from the baltimore analysis, was the repositioning of class b and c office bldgs to residential, ala 1600 glenarm. i think this could offer some great opps. in downtown denver.

-escodu05
 

On that list, I think Seattle takes the cake for having an all-around vibrancy when all factors are considered. With a population almost identical to Denver's as the 23rd most populous U.S. city, Seattle has probably the 3rd or 4th most recognizable skyline in the United States and a distinct cultural identity approaching most cities twice its size. Seattle's Downtown is dense and high, with few undeveloped parking lots, and with its large number of residents, retail centers and tourist attractions, Downtown Seattle gives you the sense that it is truly the heart of the city rather than a central high-rise office park where people might commute to for work.

Seattle's natural setting has always given it some advantages when it comes to building an attractive city; there is the Sound on one side of Downtown, a lake on the other, a location in the middle of one of the greenest temperate forests on Earth and the iconic image of a snow-capped Mt. Rainier rising in the background. Seattle is in an ideal location for air and ship traffic from the U.S. to Asia, which has historically contributed to its growth. But Denver could capitalize on its own geographical assets; Denver has a central location in the U.S., more important in the days of air-travel, placement at the foot of the Rockies, and friendly weather with lots of year-round sun.

Seattle is known as a highly-educated metropolitan area and a major cultural center. It proves that a city can be world-class without becoming huge, and I think that in many ways it is a good model for Denver to aspire to.
 

I think the best thing on Seattle to learn about is how they've managed to connect all of their tourist spots. Why isn't Invesco connected to downtown? It seems to sit by itself out there. But then I guess the new light rail will help that a bit.
 

Interesting analysis of Seattle, I thought that the suggestion of centralizing the attractions downtown for Denver was incorrect. Seattle's attractions seem to be centered but in reality aren't. What provides this perception is Seattles connectivity and seamlessness in regards to its downtown's layout. Denver can accomplish this through increased transit (aka streetcars and downtown circulators), and better connectivity of the outer areas; namely Speer Blvd/Auraria/Pepsi Center and Civic Center Park.

Besides that, it was a pretty good analysis/comparison.