Colorado

Questioning Denver’s I-70 Highway Widening

Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher has strong words about the wisdom of spending $1.8 billion to widen Interstate 70 to ten lanes in Northeast Denver. The highway widening would also include a freeway cap park.

April 4, 2014 - Denver Post

Crude-by-Rail Volume to California Spiked Almost 800% Last Year

All but 10% of the CBR went to Southern California refineries, though Bay Area shipments grew by 57% and provoked the largest outcry. The Northern California deliveries are mostly from North Dakota, with 12.5% from Colorado.

March 20, 2014 - Contra Costa Times

Breaking Down Housing Affordability for Teachers

As coastal real estate markets—especially in California—grow more expensive, it’s harder for teachers to afford a home. A recent article breaks down the affordability of homes for teachers around the country.

March 18, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Main Street

Making the Case for Downtowns: Tax Revenue

Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 recently got national media attention from Forbes. The article describes Minicozzi as a kind of evangelist, making a strong, rational case for cities of all sizes to invest in their downtowns instead of big box retail.

March 18, 2014 - Forbes - BrandVoice

Construction crane in foreground, Denver skyline in background

Denver Planning Board Steamrolls Opposition in Rezoning Controversy

In news that will come as either refreshing or frightening depending on your perspective, the Denver Planning Board recently ignored public opposition and voted to recommend rezoning in the University Park neighborhood.

March 7, 2014 - Denver Post

Denver Launching New Public Art Program

The Imagine 2020 program calls for partnerships between public agencies and the private sector—not to mention residents—in delivering new public art around the city of Denver.

March 5, 2014 - The Denver Post

Two Energy States Take Opposite Approaches Toward Regulation

PBS NewsHour reports on a new study that shows a lack of air quality regulations on fracking in the Texas Eagle Ford Shale play. NPR looks at new rules developed by regulators in Colorado, the first in the nation to restrict methane emissions.

February 26, 2014 - PBS NewsHour

Will Development Follow RTD Light Rail in Aurora, Colorado?

The mayor of Aurora has lofty ambitions for a new “Main Street” along its forthcoming 10-mile light rail route, but will the market deliver, especially with the rise of real estate prices?

February 12, 2014 - The Denver Post

Los Angeles River Kayak

Accommodating Floods Instead of Destroying Waterways

The flood management story of Boulder, Colorado, includes a successful encounter with a 1,000-year rain event, and its lessons are less about concrete and dams than one might think.

February 6, 2014 - Next American City

New Statistics Reveal Post-Recession Paradigms of Population Growth

Governing takes a closer look at the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent population estimates to reveal the data behind the country’s shifted migration patterns and present some ideas about what’s driving the new migration paradigms.

February 5, 2014 - Governing

Amtrak Southwest Chief Service Rests with N.M. Governor

Continued service to many cities in New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas may rest with N.M. Gov. Susana Martinez who has indicated she is unwilling to share in the maintenance costs required by the federal government for a stretch of rail owned by BNSF.

February 4, 2014 - The New Mexican

Colorado Foreclosures Hit Ten-Year Low

Foreclosures, the defining signifier of the Great Recession for many Americans, are coming to a screeching halt in Colorado. In fact, the state’s foreclosure rate improved at about twice the national average between 2012 and 2013.

January 19, 2014 - Denver Post

Rooftop Solar Panels

Distributed Solar Sparks ‘War of Business Models’

Threatened by the increasingly diverse electricity generation market, more utilities are pushing back on incentives for rooftop solar, such as net-metering credits.

January 18, 2014 - Denver Post

Outreach Delays New Diverging Diamond Intersection in Colorado

The diverging diamond interchange system planned for an exit off Interstate 70 in Grand Junction, west of Denver in Colorado, has been delayed so officials can educate the public about the new traffic pattern.

January 10, 2014 - Denver Post

Denver to Focus on Reviving Long-Neglected Area of the City

A $1.8 billion proposal to bury I-70 beneath a landscaped lid is just part of an ambitious plan to remake a 23-mile corridor of northeast Denver that includes the Elyria-Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods.

December 19, 2013 - Denver Post

Train Noise Endangers Denver's Development

A 2005 Federal Railroad Administration rule change that requires engineers to blare their horns at at-grade rail crossings is threatening the quality of life and economic future of communities across the Denver area.

December 9, 2013 - The Denver Post

Fracking Bans Fare Well in Colorado Elections

Fracking bans passed overwhelmingly in the Front Range cities of Boulder, Fort Collins and Lafayette but appeared to be losing by a mere 248 votes in Broomfield as of 11 p.m. on election night.

November 7, 2013 - The Denver Post

Missourians May Vote to Increase Sales Tax for Transportation After All

Citizens will attempt to do what the Missouri General Assembly narrowly rejected: raise the sales tax by one percent to fund state, county and city roads as well as public transit. If enough signatures are gathered, it will be on the ballot next year

October 30, 2013 - Kansas City Business Journal

Is Downtown Denver Too Popular?

Some of Denver's leaders are sounding the alarm over rising household income levels and the threat to affordable housing. But in an editorial in The Denver Post, Vincent Carroll argues that an exclusive downtown Denver is better than the alternative.

October 25, 2013 - The Denver Post

A bus next to the re-located light rail station at Denver's Union Station

Denver Faces Light Rail vs. Bus Decision

The financial data is clear: BRT costs much less to go further and serve far more riders. Case closed, or is it? The Denver Post editors look at HNTB's cost and ridership estimates for the Northwest Rail Line and offer a recommendation, sort of.

October 11, 2013 - The Denver Post

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.