Last Lessons from the Centennial State

Old Oakland could use a few tips from Denver's Laramier Square (above)

[The conclusion of a series on urban design in Colorado]

Over the past two weeks I’ve looked at a number of innovative urban planning policies in Colorado, and how these policies have help fostered healthier, more vibrant cities.  Now I’m going to switch back to the Bay Area and look at what we can learn from Colorado.  Below are five lessons that the Bay Area can take away from Colorado:

Lesson 1: Invest in Pedestrians

Across Colorado you’ll find great pedestrian infrastructure–be it Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall or Denver’s artistic pedestrian bridges–but the same cannot be said for the Bay Area.  Palo Alto’s University Avenue and Berkeley’s Center Street are logical starting points when it comes to pedestrian malls–both have been the subject of recent proposals for a Boulder-esque treatments due to their popular commercial districts and their current poor handling of cars, bikes, and pedestrians.  San Francisco has also began to give trial runs for temporary pedestrian plazas, and there’s no reason a pedestrian mall couldn’t work in the Mission or North Beach as well.  One place where I cannot see a pedestrian mall working is Downtown Oakland (I wouldn’t really consider City Center a true pedestrian mall) but half-malls on excessively wide streets could be just as good.  Pedestrian malls can turn good commercial districts into regional destinations and create stronger, more exciting neighborhoods.

A half-pedestrian mall in Denver's LoDo district. Two of the four lanes on this street were converted to pedestrian space with a negligible effect on traffic.

Lesson 2: Why Not Experiment with [Free] Transit Malls?

Denver’s 1.2 mile 16th St. Transit Mall generates a whopping 63,000 daily riders and 6% of Denver’s sales tax revenue (tell that to SF merchants who will try to kill a project over a single parking space).  A car-free Market Street with a free shuttle/free transit zone would do wonders for mobility in Downtown San Francisco, and a SoMa and perhaps a Chinatown/Union Square Transit Mall could save the city billions of dollars.  Rather than the 2 billion dollar Central Subway, a SoMa Transit Mall provide a good connection betwen Caltrain and Downtown while encouraging more economic investment at as much as 1/8th of the cost.  If extended to Chinatown and North Beach, San Francisco could have 100,000 people riding on the mall daily.  Obviously, there would be a lot of street access issues that would have to be dealt with, but when the alternative is 2 billion dollars, Denver’s option looks pretty good.

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Lesson 3: Activity is Contagious

Colorado’s culture of activity is a self-propagating phenomenon that is drawing more and more people toward biking and walking in their daily lives.  Coloradoans have come to expect walkable, bikeable neighborhoods with nice street trees and plenty of recreational opportunities, and the “if you build it, they will come” effect holds true when you look at the enormous ridership return experienced by Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver after their moderate investments in bicycle infrastructure.  Bay Area cities need to pursue comprehensive bicycle networks that at least makes every non-arterial street attractive for bicycling.  This means 90% of the streets in Berkeley should have Fort Collins’ “bicycle friendly street” signs, and Oakland should look to turn excess road capacity in Downtown and the entire city into new wide bike lanes.

Lesson 4: Redevelopment Needs a Holistic Approach

The reinvestment and redevelopment of LoDo, Central Platte Valley, and other areas in Denver have been great succeses because of the comprehensive approach taken by the city of Denver and developers.  These areas are truly pedestrian oriented, creating a true sense of place that is essential for any good neighborhood.  If you give people a reason to walk around and enjoy their neighborhood, they will walk around and enjoy it.  If you use the bottom floor for a parking garage, as is the common practice in many new Oakland, Emeryville, and San Francisco developments, then people will not be as active, neighborhoods will not be as safe, and cities will not be as vibrant.

Lesson 5: Be Bold

Bay Area cities are very conservative when it comes to urban planning, balking at any large-scale proposal which would create transit-oriented and pedestrian-oriented streets.  30 years ago, Denver and Oakland would have looked one in the same, but Denver’s ability (as well as Fort Collins’ and Boulder’s abilities) to revitalize its downtown in the last 30 years has push it far ahead.  What makes Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins successful is the bold choices they’ve made (and continue to make) when it comes to reclaiming streets from cars and pursuing projects which put the neighborhood before the driver.   This is not a matter of advocating change for the sake of change–there are real issues at stake and our decisions to stick to the status quo costing us billions and billions of dollars.  Bart to San Jose (7+ billion), the Central Subway (almost 2 billion), the Oakland Airport Connector (half a billion), and a multitude of other projects of questionable merit could be done for a fraction of the cost if we made innovative choices to use more cost-effective technology (such as a functional light rail or commuter rail system) or dedicate a small amount of streetspace to transit.

Lastly, consider this:

For 6.2 billion dollars, Denver will revolutionize its transit system with 140 miles of new light rail, commuter rail, and BRT by 2015.  In comparison, Bart will spend more money on its 16 mile San Jose extension alone, which will not be completed until after 2025.  Something has to change in Bay Area transit planning.  We are being ripped off.

Conclusion:

Colorado today is a truly unique laboratory for innovative policies in urban planning.  While Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins tend to not get much credit for their urbanism, I hope that this series has given their efforts a little justice.  I strongly recommend visiting these cities to see the potential of bicycling, pedestrian malls, nature, and redevelopment can have.

Also See:

Urbanism in Colorado: An Introduction

Pedestrian Malls as a Vital Element of Colorado’s Cities

Colorado’s Culture of Activity

Incorperating Nature into Colorado’s Cities

Denver’s Urban Design Masterpiece

Colorado’s Urbanist Future

And more pictures at the new 21st Century Urban Solutions Flickr

Denver’s Urban Design Masterpiece

Denver's new Central Platte Valley District is nothing short of an urban design masterpiece

[Part of a series on urban design in Colorado]

So far in this series I have examined three elements of Colorado’s cities–pedestrian malls, an active populace, and nature.  Really, these elements are not separate at all and tie into one-another: great pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure with plenty of trees and streams will make people want to get outside and take advantage of such a pleasant setting.  Therefore, it’s no coincidence that Colorado has such a strong culture of activity and such a low obesity rate.  But up until now I’ve mostly looked at Downtowns and suburban areas, rather than urban neighborhoods.  Why?  Because I had to save the best for last.

10 years ago, Denver’s Central Platte Valley district was nothing more than a blighted wasteland that served as an eyesore to the rest of the Downtown area.  While the area boasted a great location immediately adjacent to the trendy LoDo and Highland districts, Coors Field, the Pepsi Center, and Downtown, any redevelopment faced the enormous challenge of dealing with four barriers which fragmented the district and isolated it from adjacent neighborhoods: two rail lines, a river, and a freeway.

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In spite of these challenges, Denver set the ambitious goal of adding 3,000 new housing units, four parks, a new light rail transit center, and more than 3 million square feet of commercial and office space in this area of less than one square mile.  How has Denver accomplished this goal without creating a traffic disaster?  By making the area almost entirely pedestrian and bicycle oriented.

The fragmented pieces of land in Central Platte Valley are joined together by three brand-new pedestrian bridges which connect the district to the LoDo and Highland districts and line up with the 16th Street Transit Mall.  Not only are the bridges beautifully designed and conducive of walking by themselves, they serves as the fastest and most-direct link to downtown and between neighborhoods.  Development is centered along the pedestrian mall created by the trio of bridges, making walking and bicycling truly the modes of choice in the area.

Commons Park, with the Mellenium Bridge in the background.

The Platte River Bridge, with the Highland Bridge in the background.

The Highland Bridge

Central Platte Valley is also oriented around the natural assets of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek.  Apart from the great riverfront bike trails which I already discussed, Central Platte Valley has an absolute gem in Confluence Park, a new beach right in the middle of Central Platte Valley at the site of Denver’s founding 151 years ago:

Nothing beats a trip to the "beach" on a hot summer day in Denver.

The last piece in the transformation of Central Platte Valley is the redevelopment of Union Station, which will become its own district in itself.  Just behind the actual train station is a giant piece of land that will soon house the new transit center, another pedestrian bridge, and the remaining 1,000 new housing units along with lots of commercial space and a new hotel.  Once complete, the are will have much-improved transit facilities seamless connection to LoDo and Downtown.

This giant chunk of land behind Union Station will be the final piece in redevelopment...

...Which will become a new pedestrian and transit-oriented neighborhood

UPDATE: Construction on the new Union Station area just began September 7th.  Check out the project’s new website here.

While the planning process for redevelopment began back in the 1980s, the magnitude of what Denver has accomplished in the last 10 years is simply amazing.  Central Platte Valley had a sense of cohesiveness and vibrancy to it that few other large-scale redevelopment projects have, and it is one of the best examples in the country of how to create a lively new neighborhood from scratch.

If you’re interested in Denver’s redevelopment, I strongly recommend you check out www.denverinfill.com, which provides an excellent summary of every major redevelopment project happening in Denver.

Also See:

Urbanism in Colorado: An Introduction

Pedestrian Malls as a Vital Element of Colorado’s Cities

Colorado’s Culture of Activity

Incorperating Nature into Colorado’s Cities

Colorado’s Urbanist Future

Last Lessons from the Centennial State

And more pictures at the new 21st Century Urban Solutions Flickr

Pedestrian Malls as a Vital Element of Colorado’s Cities

Lined with trees, flowers, and local storefronts, Boulder's Pearl Street Pedestrian Mall was the first of its kind in Colorado

[Part of a series on urban design in Colorado]

Back in the 1970s, Colorado’s cities were facing a crisis familiar to cities across the nation: rapid sprawling growth caused an abrupt decline in downtown business districts, eliminating small businesses and damaging the cities’ character.  This issue was especially important to the cities of Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver, which had major institutions (University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the state’s business and financial center, respectively) which relied on strong downtowns.

Boulder took the lead in solving this crisis in 1977 with the bold action of closing its main street, Pearl Street, to cars and creating a pedestrian mall.  Denver and Fort Collins soon followed suit, with Denver’s 16th Street Transit Mall opening in 1982, and Fort Collins’ Old Town Square opening in 1984.

The creation of Old Town Square in Fort Collins in 1984 has led to a booming downtown real estate market

When these malls were built, they were built to last.  In contrast to the large number of failed pedestrian malls across the country (such as Sacramento’s and Boston’s) which essentially closed streets off to cars but otherwise left things the same, Boulder, Denver, and Fort Collins dramatically changed their streetscapes to create a unique sense of place.  Playing off each city’s environmental and cultural assets, the mature trees, colorful flowers, public art, historic buildings, and unorthodox street layouts helped foster environments in which local offices, shops, bars, and cafes could thrive.  The diverse uses of these downtowns allowed them to become destinations for businessmen, college students, and local residents alike.

Denver’s 16th Street Transit Mall is particularly impressive because of its enormous success against the odds.  Much of Downtown Denver resembles an uglier version of Downtown Oakland–wide, one way streets with big bland office buildings and surface parking lots.  Yet, in this environment, the excellent landscaping and pedestrian-friendly development along the 16th Street Transit Mall has given Denver one of the most vibrant downtowns in the country.

Downtown Denver's wide one-way streets and giant, bland office buildings isn't exactly an urban paradise...

...But the 16th Street Transit Mall has breathed life into Downtown--even on a Sunday

The 1.25 mile transit mall connects Union Station, LoDo, the RTD transit center, Downtown, RTD light rail, and the Civic Center/state capitol with a free four-door bus that stops about every block.  While the transit mall ends at Union Station, a pedestrian mall extends another half mile into a series of brand new pedestrian and bicycle-oriented loft-style neighborhoods (more on this area later in this series).  The result is a cohesive, transit-oriented downtown that is now undergoing considerable redevelopment.

A four-door, free-fare bus on the 16th Street Transit Mall

Three decades after the creation of their pedestrian malls, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver are once agian focused around their downtown business districts.  While sprawling development continues to occur in these areas, their bicycle networks and smart growth policies (especially Denver’s) are steadily transforming these cities into some of the healthiest and greenest cities in the nation.  Stay tuned for the next post.

Also see:

Urbanism in Colorado: An Introduction

Colorado’s Culture of Activity

Incorperating Nature into Colorado’s Cities

Denver’s Urban Design Masterpiece

Colorado’s Urbanist Future

Last Lessons from the Centennial State

And don’t forget the new 21st Century Urban Solutions Flickr!

Urbanism in Colorado: An Introduction

The 16th St. Transit Mall in Denver is just one example of the outstanding urban design which I encountered in Colorado

Colorado is not always a state that comes to mind when you think of progressive urban policies, but having spent the past week exploring the cities of Fort Collins, Boulder, and Denver, Colorado has become one of the most cutting edge states when it comes to urbanism.  Granted, I am by no means saying that Colorado cities are even near perfect; in fact, cities on the Front Range have experienced a tremendous amount of sprawling growth over the past few decades which now threatens to consume a significant portion of the farmland and open space along the I-25 corridor.  But while urbanist projects in the Bay Area have been caught up in political battles and bureaucratic red tape, cities across Colorado have managed to accomplish numerous recent projects which have put them at the forefront of livability and sustainability.

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Most of Colorado’s population lies along the Front Range urban corridor, with 3.1 million of the state’s 4.9 million people living along the 75 mile stretch of I-25 between the Denver Metro area and Fort Collins, and an additional 1.1 million in the adjacent 100 miles (including Colorado Springs and Cheyenne, Wyoming).

Three overarching aspects of Fort Collins, Boulder, and Denver put these cities years ahead of the Bay Area: pedestrian malls and public spaces, bicycle friendliness, and smart redevelopment.  I plan on discussing each of these topics in the following days, as well as their implications for Colorado’s future and what the Bay Area can learn from them.

Also, I would like to draw your attention to the new 21st Century Urban Solutions Flickr, in which you can view pictures from my trip to Colorado along with other photos as they come.  Enjoy!

Boulder, along with Fort Collins and Denver, has an extensive network of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure which helps foster an active and green populace

Also See:

Pedestrian Malls as a Vital Element of Colorado’s Cities

Colorado’s Culture of Activity

Incorperating Nature into Colorado’s Cities

Denver’s Urban Design Masterpiece

Colorado’s Urbanist Future

Last Lessons from the Centennial State