Chapter 4 Click on the DPR logo in the upper right corner ... · e Ri r. Pepsi Center . A u ra r i a P ar k w a y. To Interstate 25 Auraria Higher Education Center Bike path continues

A connected city:links between civic space and neighborhoods

As Denverbecomes a

City in a Park,stronger

connections are

crucial. This

chapter discusses

recommendations

for improving

the physical

links that

connect a City

in a Park—

between our

civic spaces and

neighborhoods;

among public

spaces in

Downtown

Denver; and via

urban waterways

to greenways and

open space.

�

Chapter 4

It's easy as pie!

Click on the DPR logo in the upper right corner of odd-numbered pages to return to the Game Plan's Table of Contents. But most of all, enjoy life and pass it on. ; o )

a c o n n e c t e d c i t y :

A City in a Park creates new links betweenneighborhoods and a strong urban core. Withimproved connections between Civic Centerand the 16th Street Mall, and between theAuraria Campus and the Denver Center for thePerforming Arts, Downtown truly becomes thecity’s “civic heart.”

Green Streets offer shady, pedestrian-friendlyconnections among neighborhood parks,schools, recreation centers, waterways, and

Downtown. Off-street trails and connectionsfill in gaps in the current trails system.

Along Cherry Creek, the Platte, Sand Creek,and the West Side gulches, new parks and traillinks provide recreation and access. Restorednatural open space becomes a haven for urbanwildlife. People can cross road, rails, and riversto cross the city on bike and by foot.

Vision

A City in a Park features a vital Downtown, withattractive, pedestrian-friendly, complementaryconnections to public and private open spaces.

Values

Downtown means many things to Denverresidents—a special outing on the 16th StreetMall, a sporting event at the Pepsi Center, astroll along the river through Confluence Park,visits to the Denver Art Museum and the

Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and aschoolchild’s first visit to the State Capitol.

Increasingly, it also means home to residentswho have revitalized Downtown and LowerDowntown into bustling urbanneighborhoods. All of this activity is occurringin about a one square mile area—bounded byI-25 to the west, 12th Avenue to the south,Logan to the east, and Park Avenue to thenorth—that embraces both Cherry Creek andthe Platte.

19th century pedestrian bridge �

“Good places tend to be all of a

piece—and the reason can almost

always be traced to a human being.”

William H. Whyte

58

��CONNECTING ALL OUR PARKS AND OPEN SPACES

� DENVER’S DOWNTOWN: A VITAL CIVIC HEART

G A M E P L A N — c r e a t i n g a s t r a t e g y f o r o u r f u t u r eC

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59l i n k s b e t w e e n c i v i c s p a c e a n d n e i g h b o r h o o d s

The 1986 Downtown Area Plan and currentD-Map established a compelling vision ofeconomic vitality, cultural leadership, designexcellence, and places for people to live andplay that still guides development. Includedwithin that vision are ideas for revitalizingDowntown, such as:

� a focused center and urban core,

� varied public open spaces, from streets toparks to cultural attractions,

� a place where people live, and� a place of easy movement, with strong

pedestrian, auto and transit connectionsbetween destinations.

Game Plan public open houses underscoredsupport for these ideas and others presentedin the 1986 plan. Though much work remains,

Downtown Denver

12th Ave.

13th Ave.

14th Ave.

Colfax Ave.

Cambridge

16th Ave.

17th Ave.

Eulipions Theatre

18th Ave.

19th Ave.

20th Ave.

Denver Art

Byers-EvansLibrary

Civic City/County

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(To 30th & Downing)

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Museum

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r.

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r Blvd

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CurriganHall

DenverPerforming

Arts Complex

15thSt.

Denver Dry

Building

Cour tyardby Marriott

ExecutiveTower Inn

HotelTeatro

13th St. (2-way Until Arapahoe)

Punt theCreek

LarimerSquare

WriterSquare

(2-w

ay until

15th)

CherryCreekSpeer Blvd

16th St. Mall(FREE Shuttle between M

arket St. & Civic Center Station)Republic

Plaza

ComfortInn

ParamountTheatre

HayattRegency

Weltt

on St.

600

MarriottHotel

HoltzeExective

Place

IndependencePlaza

TowerD & F

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17th St.

HotelManaco

The Shopsat TaborCenter

EmbassySuitesHotel

Market St.Station

LoDo Inn

OxfordHotel

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Statio

n Wyn

koop S

t. 1700

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e St.

1600Bla

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00

Mar

ket S

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00Larim

er St.

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18th St.

20th St

Califo

rnia

St.

700

Stout

St.

800

Cha

mpa

St.

900

SakuraSquare

DowntownBus

Terminal

U.S.Post

Office

Curtis

St. 1000Ara

pahoe St.

1100

The Museum ofContemporary Art-

Denver(At Sakura Square)

21st St.

22st St.Waln

ut St.

1400

Lawre

nce

St. 12

00

Park Ave.

24th St.

CoorsField

Blake

St.

1500

Park Ave./38th Ave. (Exit 213 fromIntertate 25) Exit 275B from

Interstate 70 &Brighton Blvd.

Waz

ee S

t.

Park Ave.

Br

Aco

ma

St.

20th St. (Exit 212C

from Interstate 25)(exit 211) from I-25

and go south on Platte Street, or take 23rd Ave.15th Street from Downtown to Platt StreetGardens, and The Children's Museum, takeTo Access Ocean Journey, Six Flags Elitch

20th St. (2-way until Arapahoe)

(2-way until blake)

Centra

l

Inte

rsta

te 2

5

Platte

St.

Sou

th P

latte

Riv

er

Pepsi Center

Auraria Parkway

To Interstate 25

Auraria Higher Education Center

Bike path continuesalong creek to

Confluence Park

RTD Light Rail toPark & Ride, Interstate 25

& Broadway

I -2 5

I -2 5 S p e e r B l v d .

I -2 5

2 3 r dA v e

P l at t e

St .

1 5 t hS t .

Wa t e r St .

O c e a n

J o u r n e y

C h i l dr e n s

M u s e u mS i x F l a g s

E l i t c hG a r d e n s

C o n f l u e n c eP a r k

B i k e Pa t h

I-25

Bro

adw

ay(2

-way

Nor

th o

f 20t

h)

N

E

S

W

Civic Center event �


many of the plan’s ideas have been realized,such as opening access to Cherry Creek andconstructing Commons Park. Others, likeextending the 16th Street Mall and revitalizingSkyline Park, are in progress.

Performance Indicators

The D-Map and 1986 Plan will provide thestrongest guidance in setting qualitativeperformance expectations for the city’surban core.

Game Plan Downtown CorePerformance Goals:

� Develop Downtown as aconnected system of public openspaces, with strong physical linksamong activities.

� Provide a wide range of publicspaces that vary in character andscale, from grand traditional parksto urban hardscaped plazas.

� Provide varied programming forDowntown spaces to attractpatrons.

� Provide strong, accessiblepedestrian connections amongDowntown public spaces, andprovide links to transit facilities.

� Provide for parks and recreationamenities at the appropriate servicelevels described above, to meet thegrowing needs of Downtownresidents.

How Does the City Measure Up?

Significant strides were made in the pastdecade, with the completion of CommonsPark and the extension of the 16th Street Mall.These actions have strengthened the physicalform of Downtown as an east-west spineconnecting grand and formal city parks.

Work remains, however, to develop strongnorth-south green connections linking the citycore to civic institutions south of Cherry Creek,such as the Auraria Campus, and to the culturalattractions in Five Points to the north.

To address the need for north-southconnections, the Game Plan proposes along-range connection between AurariaCampus and the Denver Center for thePerforming Arts, creating a “land bridge” overSpeer Boulevard that could provide both aconnection and additional acres ofDowntown’s green space. While technicallyfeasible, such a land bridge would likely needto be undertaken with new, moderate-densitydevelopment to share costs.

� 16th Stree Mall is a public/private urban park

16th Street Mall extension to Millenium Bridge �

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Pedestrian connections between Downtownand surrounding neighborhoods also need tobe strengthened. One significant area is theconnection between the Denver Art Museumand Public Library (and emerging GoldenTriangle neighborhood to the south), and CivicCenter. Bannock Street would provide alogical connection point to Speer; a variety oftraffic calming and physical improvements

should be investigated with the PedestrianMaster Plan undertaken by Public Works.

Finally, the emergence of Downtown’sneighborhoods will have a huge effect onparks and recreation. About 4,200 people livein Denver’s Downtown core, including theCentral Business District and LowerDowntown, and are served well by openspace. By 2025, Blueprint Denver estimates

A possible Land Bridge over Speer Boulevard, connecting Auraria campus to Downtown

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that Downtown’s residential population willgrow to 40,000 people. The current servicestandards described in Chapter 3 imply a needfor an additional 30 to 40 acres of parkland andDowntown’s open space.

These acres should ideally encompass thesame wide variety of public spaces asdescribed in the green neighborhoods sectionof Chapter 3. Playgrounds and tot lots may beneeded near residential areas toaccommodate young families. Urban squaresmay be provided in the highest density areas.Larger patches of green like the AurariaCampus could accommodate larger civicfestivals if connected across Speer.

As Union Station is transformed into amulti-modal transit hub, thousands of peoplewill pass through plaza spaces connectingthem to Downtown. Business consortia suchas the Downtown Denver Partnership andeducational institutions must have a strongvoice in the development of these proposalsfor Downtown. These organizations shouldcontribute to strategic and physical plans thatmay follow from the Game Plan, and should bepartners in implementation.

Recommendations for Denver’sDowntown

1. Develop a strategic master plan forDowntown neighborhoods using theprojected 2025 population figures.Address connections as well as projectedneeds for public open space.

2. Strengthen pedestrian connectionsbetween Civic Center and 16th Street Mall.

3. Connect Denver Center for the PerformingArts (DCPA) to Auraria Campus with aconnection across Speer. This continuouspark space will unite the campus withDowntown and create a large gatheringspace to augment Civic Center Park.Nearby parking at the Auraria Campus andeasy shuttle service to the Mile High andPepsi Center lots, as well as current andproposed light rail, make this venueattractive.

4. Within the framework of the D-Map and1986 plan, identify opportunities for newand enhanced open spaces.

5. Improve connections from the west edgeof the Golden Triangle to Civic Center .

6. Encourage a vibrant street life Downtownthrough a market district, festivals andstreet activities.

Proposed improvements to Bannock, linking �Civic Center to the City & County Building

62

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Vision

A City in a Park envisions continuous, safe, andaccessible sidewalks and other pedestrianconnections among Denver neighborhoodsfor people of all ages and abilities, using arange of transportation options.

Values

The city’s infrastructure is designed to conveypeople and goods. These roadways, rail lines,waterways, and ditches also can create barriersbetween neighborhoods, local parks andrecreation facilities. “Our parks and trails aregreat, but we can’t get there” was a commonrefrain at public open houses.

Some Northwest Denver neighborhoods areblessed with an abundance of parks, but busyarterial streets such as Federal Boulevard createperceived barriers to access. In some areas,parents say that rail lines and truck routesprevent their children from visiting parks andrecreation facilities on foot, without an adultaccompanying them to ensure that they crosssafely. With many parents working long hours,children rarely may get to use the parks.

Almost 40 percent of Denver residentssurveyed in 2001 said that improvingconnections and access were priorities.Citizens most often mentioned these elementsas missed opportunities or “must dos” withinexpansion plans.


The Game Plan has adopted the followingqualitative performance goals:

Game Plan Green ConnectionsPerformance Goals:

� Provide continuous, safeconnections on at least one side ofeach “green street,” connectingparks to schools, recreationcenters, and neighborhoodcenters. A green street has anadequate sidewalk and street treecanopy.

� Improve the safety of pedestriancrossings at arterials and otherheavily trafficked streets.

� Denver’s tree-lined sidewalks


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��A SYSTEM OF GREEN STREET CONNECTIONS


� Ensure universal access for allages and abilities.

� Provide continuous sidewalksthat conform to city standards.

� Install a detached sidewalk withtree lawn where feasible; tree lawnsshould be at least 8 feet wide.

� Provide dedicated bike laneswhere feasible.


The city’s parkway system (map on oppositepage) provides a model for a broader system ofgreen connections. By design, most parkwaysare relatively pedestrian friendly, with wide treelawns separating sidewalks from the street, asshown in the “tree lawn” photo. But as themap shows, the parkway system is limited tocertain geographic areas of the city.

With retrofitting, many residential streets couldcomplement the parkway system and begin toknit the city together. The “Green Streets”sketch shows opportunities for strengtheningand expanding green connections by linkingschools and parks to proposed breathingspaces and other neighborhood amenities.These proposed Green Streets would bedifferent from other city streets in three ways:

� The width and continuity of tree lawns, aswell as the tree species that are planted;

� The width and continuity of sidewalks; and� The spacing of street trees and possibly

tree species.

This differentiation would allow Green Streets tobe identified as a system, providing both visualand physical links to important civic spaces.

Current streetscape standards offer afoundation for creating this system of greenconnections. The Game Plan adopts thesestandards, but acknowledges that existingconditions in some neighborhoods may makestandards difficult to achieve withoutsignificant expense, or without significantacquisition of new rights-of-way.

For example, post-World War II neighborhoodsoften lack or feature sidewalks that do notmeet city standards. Other neighborhoodsexhibit wide variations in sidewalk sectionsfrom block to block. These areas will be morechallenging and expensive to retrofit. Moredetailed study and adaptation of thesestandards will be completed through thecitywide Pedestrian Master Plan, as directed byBlueprint Denver.

The Game Plan endorses Blueprint Denverrecommendations for improving crossings atmajor arterial streets viewed by residents as

“Green Street”: trees from home to park to school �

64

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�

Existing Parkways


hazardous. The city should considerpedestrian improvements or “traffic-calming”devices. The neighborhood planning processcan help identify areas of greatest concern.

Recommendations for Green StreetConnections

1. Continue to work with Public Works todevelop the Pedestrian Master Plan,intended to document conditions, refineguidelines, create standards andprototypes for retrofitting neighborhoods,and a schedule and cost estimates forimprovements.

2. Revise the city’s streetscape and mediandesign manuals on the basis of thePedestrian Master Plan. Reissue as a jointdocument adopted by DPR, CPD andPublic Works.

3. Address impacts of curb cuts and drivewayaprons on tree lawns and sidewalks, andrevise guidelines for these features toencourage continuous green space andpromote pedestrian safety.

4. Ensure that Green Streets meet theTransportation Standards and Policydocument.

5. Design tree lawns to help improvestormwater quality.

Vision

Off-street trails complement the grid of GreenStreets and connect Denverites to the region.

Values

All residents want to overcome poorconnections. Residents at public forumsrequested more recreational trails like the HighLine Canal and Cherry Creek Trail to connectparks and create longer cycling or walkingloops. Others mentioned the value of bridgingbarriers like the Platte, I-25, or Cherry Creek.

Opportunities for creating major new off-streetconnections within the city are, again, limitedby development. DPR can help identifymissing links to provide safe access from eachneighborhood to these major trails.


The Game Plan has established the followingqualitative performance goals for off-streetconnections:

Union Depot as multi-modal transit hub �

East section of Proposed Greenstreets Map �

56TH

48TH

64TH

47TH

ALBROOK

51ST

ARGONNE

CROWN

40TH

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66

��CITYWIDE AND REGIONAL TRAIL CONNECTIONS

56TH

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Proposed Green Streets

LEGEND


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�

Proposed Greenstreets

For larger Section Maps,see the Appendix.


Game Plan Off-street ConnectionsPerformance Goals

� Provide safe access to off-streettrails, ideally no more than one halfmile to one mile from majorresidential areas.

� Complete “missing links” in theoff-street trail system to improveconnections.

� Ensure that links arestrengthened to major regional andmetrowide trail systems.


The current system of off-street trailsencompass 51 miles of primarily pavedpathways that form a web through the city. Animportant regional link, the High Line CanalTrail, spans another 110 miles. Other majorlinks include the Sand Creek RegionalGreenway from Aurora through Denver toCommerce City, as well as the Clear Creek andBear Creek trails.

Within this generally strong network, theBicycle Master Plan noted gaps such as missingor difficult segments through Denver, andconnecting the Clear Creek and Bear Creektrails to Northwest and Southwest Denver to

the mountain parks. Drainageways to the westwith missing sections include: Weir Gulch,Sanderson Gulch, Lakewood Dry Gulch, theWestwood Trail, far Southwest and SoutheastDenver through Goldsmith Gulch, andconnections between Lowry and Stapleton.

The Game Plan also proposes major streetlevel and grade-separated crossings along I-25,Cherry Creek, and the Platte. These mayconnect neighborhoods and proposed transit-oriented developments to urban waterwaysand parks. Some connections may themselvesfunction as parks, similar to Seattle’s FreewayPark, built on a large platform over I-5. Bridgesand other “crossing” structures can featuredistinctive designs.

Recommendations for Off-Street TrailConnections

1. Improve off-street connections throughdrainageways and gulches, possiblyincluding the following:

� Clear Creek Trail linking Denver tomountain parkland,

� Lakewood Gulch to Martinez Park,� Off-street connections for the Weir Gulch

corridor, and� Sanderson Gulch between Lipan Street and

the Platte River Trail.

2. In heavily used areas, consider separatepaths for cyclists and pedestrians.

Northwest and Northeast sections of �Proposed Greenstreets Map

68

16

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3. Plan for future trends, especially thoseaimed at mitigating accessibility issues. Forexample, identify areas where assisteddevices such as electric bikes may beappropriate.

4. Study utility easements for potential trailconnections, for example at WestwoodPark to the Westwood Trail and theextension of the Westwood Trail east ofFederal Boulevard to Zuni.

5. Define a range of trail types for differentconditions, from 10-foot-wide hard-surfacepaths for heavily traveled urban areas, tonarrower, soft-surface paths for morenatural settings.

6. Improve linkages of far Southwestneighborhoods by acquiring privatelyowned rights-of-way identified in theBicycle Master Plan.

7. Extend Wagon Trail with a connectionaround Marston Lake.

8. Link far Southeast neighborhoods throughHutchinson Park East and GoldsmithGulch.

9. Improve links between Lowry andStapleton with better on-street bicycleroutes on Syracuse and Yosemite streetsand by developing Westerly Creek Trail.

10. Preserve rights-of-way along the FirstCreek and Second Creek drainage

corridors, and construct these trailsthrough the Gateway area.

11. Improve the Platte River pedestrian andbicycle crossings in the followinglocations:

� link potential Evans transit-orienteddevelopment (TOD) across the Platte atEvans or Iliff. Iliff would provide acontinuous connection, from HarvardGulch through Rosedale Parks to GrantFrontier Park, to potential new community-scale parks on the west edge of the Platte.

� link Valverde to Baker neighborhoods andthe north edge of the proposed Gatestransit-oriented development.

� provide continuous connections throughWeir Gulch.

� link 13th Avenue and Lakewood Dry Gulchacross the Platte for an eventual green-street connection to Lincoln Park.

� link the 16th Street Mall extension acrossthe Platte and I-25 via the Millenium Bridgeand two other bridges planned.

� link the city’s west and east sidesimmediately south of Cuernavaca Park.

12. Consider abandoned ditch systems forfuture stormwater conveyance andstorage.

13. Restore and protect the drainageways’natural open space plants and wildlifehabitat. � Southwest and Southeast sections of

Proposed Greenstreets Map

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SandersonGulch

Weir Gulch

HCREEK

Bear Creek

LILLEY GULCH

Bear Creek

ver

Little Dry C

reek

Big

Dry

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r eek

Marston

Reservoir

25

Ruby

Hill

Bear Creek

SWSW


Vision

With Downtown as the city’s heart, a City in aPark envisions Denver’s urban waterways as acirculatory system, with corridors for wildlifeand people that link the city to the region.Waterways also function as natural treatmentsystems to cleanse polluted stormwater runoff,while providing access to recreation.

Values

Through the 2001 Game Plan Survey and openhouses, city residents asked for diverserecreational experiences, passive as well asactive, along Denver’s waterways. Manysupported new opportunities to recreate in thewater, including canoeing and kayaking.

Residents are also seeking green connectionsto the water’s edge, safe crossings overwaterways, new parkway connections next tothe water, especially along the Platte at SouthPlatte River Drive, and more opportunities tolearn about water quality, native landscapes,and wildlife. Both natural areas and activeparks supporting recreation are desired.


The Game Plan has established the followingqualitative performance goals for urbanwaterways:

Game Plan Urban WaterwayPerformance Goals

� Ensure safe access to urbanwaterways from major residentialareas.

� Expand natural open spacealong the Platte, Cherry Creek, andthe gulches, improving habitat forurban wildlife.

� Increase the number and rangeof parks along the waterways,including some larger parks thatsupport active recreation.

� Ensure safe pedestrian andbicycle connections across thesewaterways to link majorrecreational areas with activity areasand transit stops.

Boating at Confluence Park �

70

��HEALTHY AND ACCESSIBLE URBAN WATERWAYS


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�

Urban Waterways and Waterway Parks

a c o n n e c t e d c i t y :72

� Improve water quality andaquatic habitat.

� Increase opportunities forwater-based recreation.

� Ensure continuous trailconnections along major waterwaytrunk routes and branches.


The Game Plan’s vision for urban waterwaysembraces many individual master plans forspecific waterway segments, including thePlatte, Cherry Creek, Westerly Creek, SandCreek, Sanderson and Lakewood Dry Gulches.To ensure these plans reinforce each other,DPR’s main recommendations are synthesizedbelow and form the context for a larger

South Platte Park of the Future

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waterways framework plan that DPR shoulddevelop following the Game Plan.

Recommendations for Urban Waterways1. Create a framework plan for urban

waterways that synthesizesrecommendations from the individualmaster plans into guidelines for waterwayacquisition, restoration, parkredevelopment, wildlife and human-usemanagement, and water-quality objectivesand best management practices.

2. Identify potential new parkway accessesalong major waterways, to extend thesystem. Both Cherry Creek Drive and PlatteRiver Drive could be enhanced to providemore of a parkway-like experience.

3. Identify opportunities to acquire and bankland for large parks along the Platte.Examples include obsolete industrial oreducational campuses or brownfields thatcould be reclaimed, such as the GeneralChemical site.

Areas with significant natural landforms,like the river bluffs, suggest interesting sitesfor parks. Large park sites should includevaried experiences, landscapes, andopportunities for interpretation.

4. Identify opportunities to expand parklandand natural open space along the WestSide gulches.

5. Implement the Cherry Creek Master Plan’srecommendations for parks, natural areas,and connections. Identify opportunities toacquire and bank land for new parks alongCherry Creek.

6. Refine criteria for parcel acquisition toevaluate whether parcels contribute tourban waterway goals and visions. (seesidebar for parcel acquisition criteria)

7. Develop a recreation management plan for urban waterways that addressesappropriate uses, significance as habitat,and water quality.


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PPrreelliimmiinnaarryy AAsssseessssmmeenntt

CCrriitteerriiaa ffoorr PPaarrcceell AAccqquuiissiittiioonn

� Opportunity for direct visual or

physical link to a waterway

� Opportunity to create a large

parcel (300 to 400 acres) that

can support a community park

� Linkages to proposed transit,

light-rail stops and transit

Ooriented development

� Potential to serve priority

neighborhoods in need

� Brownfield site or low value-

added from current use

74s n c e d

Riparian area along the banks of Heron Pond

Station One

Documents

Chapter 4 Click on the DPR logo in the upper right corner ... · e Ri r. Pepsi Center . A u ra r i a P ar k w a y. To Interstate 25 Auraria Higher Education Center Bike path continues