New Partners for Smart Growth

"As the smart growth movement gains momentum and welcomes additional practitioners to its ranks, the discourse about growth options in our communities becomes more informed, the civic participation more inclusive, and the decision-making more insightful. The American Planning Association is pleased once again to be a sponsor of the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, which provides an inspiring, annual snapshot of our nation's progress. In addition to showcasing innovative tools and techniques at the conference, APA members stand ready to work with attendees when they return home to create communities of lasting value for the benefit of all residents."

---- Paul Farmer, AICP
Executive Director and CEO
American Planning Association

Special Features

Networking Reception
The main conference program will start on Thursday evening with an opening keynote session. In keeping with the conference theme of collaboration, a "hosted" networking reception will immediately follow this session. This social event is designed to get our multidisciplinary audience talking and networking with each other early in the conference.

Optional Preconference Tours of Local Model Projects
All tours will carry a nominal fee to cover transportation costs and refreshments. It is possible to sign up for more than one tour. Space on each tour is limited, and preregistration is required.

All Tours: Thursday, January 26, 2006

TOUR 1:

Greyfields to Goldfields--Suburban Mall Transformations

Experience firsthand examples of suburban malls that have been transformed to vibrant communities, and understand the meaning of greyfields and the opportunities there. Explore the public and private rile in their redevelopment. Participants will see the potential redevelopment opportunities at the Marketplace in Northglenn, Belmar in Lakewood, and the City Center in Englewood. Light refreshments will be provided.
Transportation: Bus, walking
8:00 a.m.-noon
Cost: $25

- FULL - TOUR 2: Adventures in New Suburbanism
The majority of new urbanism projects in Colorado have been infill developments (Stapleton, Lowry, etc.). However, there are a growing number of neo-traditional developments occurring in more suburban settings. This mobile tour will visit two northern Front Range projects: the Bradburn Neighborhood in Westminster and the Belle Creek Neighborhood in Commerce City. Project developers and architects will explain how "new suburbanism" is changing the face of traditional community design in Colorado. Light refreshments will be provided.
Transportation: Bus, walking
8:00 a.m.-noon
Cost: $25

TOUR 3: West Corridor Light-Rail Tour
The West Corridor is slated to be one of the first corridors constructed in RTD's FasTracks Plan. This corridor will serve west Denver, Lakewood, and Golden primarily along an old abandoned railroad alignment adjacent to residential commercial and industrial land uses. The West Corridor has tremendous possibilities for transit-oriented development (TOD) at several stations, including stations adjacent to major activity centers at the Denver Federal Center office complex and Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. On this tour learn some of the challenges that RTD faced during the EIS process and still faces during the final design process. Also, learn how some of the communities along the route are planning for and promoting TOD. Light refreshments will be provided.
Transportation: Bus, light rail, walking
8:30 a.m.-noon
Cost: $25

TOUR 4: The Boulder Experience
Participants will get hands-on learning opportunities to explore how Boulder, Colorado, has successfully created a balanced, multimodal transportation system that supports and adds vitality to the pedestrian shopping and business district that is the heart of downtown. Session participants will examine various pedestrian environments; field-assess how street design, non-motorized facilities, and adjacent land use intrinsically work together; and explore how parking management and transit service are critical to smart growth. Lunch will be provided by Charlier Associates, Inc.
Transportation: Bus, walking
8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Cost: $25

- FULL - TOUR 5: Highlands Garden Village--A Showcase of Smart Growth and New Urbanism
Located ten minutes from downtown Denver, the Highlands' Garden Village is a walkable, transit-linked village that is a model for environmentally responsible infill development. Using green buildings and green transportation systems, the village has revitalized an underused site into a network of homes, gardens, plazas, and open spaces. It also demonstrates that an extraordinary range of uses, housing types, and incomes could not only be accommodated on a smaller site, but enhances it. A network of gardens, plazas, and public spaces enriches community; encourages pedestrian traffic; creates value; and enriches the neighborhood. Light refreshments will be provided.
Transportation: Bus, walking
9:00-noon
Cost: $25

- FULL - TOUR 6: Colfax Avenue--Main Street Rebirth
Colfax Avenue, or US Route 40, through Denver is one of the longest continuously commercial streets in America. Colfax once served as the primary gateway to the Rocky Mountain west. From its earliest days as a stagecoach and Native American trading route, it has thrived as thoroughfare for commerce. Colfax began a downward economic trend after construction of Interstate 70, which bypassed Colfax through the region. This new interstate bypass left many businesses to wither on the shrinking tourism vine. A new breed of Colfax emerged that attracted a wilder group of bohemians and sin seekers. The street served as a backdrop for much of Jack Kerouac's beatnik bible, On the Road. The emerging bars and nightlife prompted Playboy to call Colfax, "the longest, wickedest street in America." Auto-oriented planning and zoning decisions contributed further to Colfax's decline as the environment became a place for cars, not people. With over 20,000 transit riders per day, there is renewed interest in reviving Colfax as a place for people. The Colfax Main Street is experiencing a resurgence of investment in housing, shops, restaurants, and entertainment. On this multi-modal tour come learn about the recently adopted plan for growth, a new form-based zone district, and several catalyst projects that are leading to the rebirth of Denver's Main Street. Light refreshments will be provided.
Transportation: Bus, walking
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Cost: $30

- FULL - TOUR 7: Historic Transit Hub Linking Thriving Districts--Old and New
Lower Downtown (LoDo) and the Commons area of the Central Platte Valley are excellent complementary areas and easily done in one walking tour of three to four hours. Commons is the redeveloping former railyards on the other side of historic Union Station from LoDo. Union Station will be the hub of the largest urban rail transportation project in the country, Fastracks. The first light-rail line is already in with engineering underway to take it below grade. There is a very ambitious master plan for mixed-use development of the station property that is attracting national attention. There are several thousand people already living in the Commons district, a new park, and other amenities in place. There will likely be four more blocks of new development, including a hotel, urban grocery, and other uses announced by the time of the conference. All in all it is a great opportunity to see both a successful historic district and a very progressive and successful TOD anchored by regional transit. Light refreshments will be provided.
Transportation: Bus, walking
1:00-5:00 p.m.
Cost: $25

TOUR 8: T-REX Corridor Tour
The T-REX Corridor will be Denver's newest light-rail corridor when it opens in December 2006. This 19-mile corridor will serve the southeast Denver Metro area on an alignment adjacent to I-25. The corridor serves several major important activity centers including the Denver Technological Center (DTC), one of the largest employment centers in Denver. Learn the challenges the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and the local jurisdictions are facing related to transit-oriented development (TOD) in this corridor as result of the design-build construction process. Also learn how the community has been involved in the project development process and what impact they have had on the overall project. Light refreshments will be provided.
Transportation: Bus, light rail, walking
1:00-5:00 p.m.
Cost: $25

- FULL - TOUR 9: Stapleton--Integrating Smart Growth and Healthy Living into Community Design
For many years, the urban neighborhoods located around Denver's former Stapleton International Airport suffered the noise that came with living in the flight path of the 5th busiest airport in the nation. Today, some of those neighbors and many more newcomers are living on the site of the former runways in one of the most celebrated new urban infill communities in the nation. Join us at The Visitor Center in Stapleton's first town center for a briefing followed by a walking and bus tour of the new community under development by Forest City Enterprises that will ultimately have 12,000 homes with 30,000 residents and 13 million square feet of commercial uses supporting 35,000 jobs--all of which will be enhanced by more than 1,100 acres of new parks and open space. Learn about how partnerships have been formed to address active living through programs and policy that promote a healthy lifestyle both at Stapleton and the surrounding neighborhoods. Light refreshments will be provided.
Transportation: Bus, walking
1:00-4:00 p.m.
Cost: $25

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