Denver is undergoing rapid urban and social change.
Is this the city we had in mind?
Denver’s population has exploded and is more diverse than ever. Meanwhile, a global pandemic, gentrification, and climate change have impacted its urban landscape. Yet Mayor Federico Peña’s call to “Imagine a Great City” still rings with inspiration.
Denver’s population has exploded and is more diverse than ever. Meanwhile, a global pandemic, gentrification, and climate change have impacted its urban landscape. Yet Mayor Federico Peña’s call to “Imagine a Great City” still rings with inspiration.
Through our interactions with neighbors, the ways we enjoy our parks and public spaces, the policies we advocate and vote for, and the problems we turn a blind eye to, we create the community we call home. In Is This the City We Imagined?, fourteen leading voices consider where Colorado’s capital city goes from here, offering perspectives on how we can keep creating the city we want in the future.
Edited by Jason L. Hanson and Steve W. Turner, Is This the City We Imagined? was inspired by History Colorado’s Building Denver initiative—a full slate of exhibitions, podcasts, partnerships, scholarship, and educational connections that empowered Denverites to collectively envision a healthier, more inclusive, more equitable city.
It includes essays from:
- Anna Mascorella, "Building Denver: Visions of the Capital City"
- Ken Schroeppel, "Mile-High Mobility: A Driving Force in the Evolution of Denver's Urban Fabric"
- Hon. Elbra Wedgeworth, "Never Forget Where you Come From - It's What Makes You Who You Are"
- Katie McKenna, "In Pursuit of Justice? Start at Home."
- Tom Gougeon, "The Pursuit of a More Sustainable, Resilient, Equitable Denver"
- Lindy Eichenbaum Lent, "Strengthened by Diversity: The Role of Immigrants in Denver's Thriving Communities"
- Aaron Miripol: "Community Land Trusts: An In-Placement Solution for Denver & Beyond"
- Annie Levinsky and Jim Lindberg, "Heritage Renewed: How Preservation Became a Part of Denver's Future"
- William Wei, "Reclaiming the Past, Building the Future: The Project to Re-Envision Denver's Historic Chinatown"
- David Tryba, "A Clearing in Our Midst: A National Model for Economically, Socially, and Ecologically Sustainable City Building"
- Beth Conover, 'the Future is Green and Blue: Restoring Original Waterways to Make Denver Cooler and Greener"
- Mark Earnest and David Pfeifer, "Will the Covid-19 Pandemic Change Architecture and Urban Design in Colorado? It Already Has."
Details
- History Colorado Publications
- Paperback, 212 pages
- Published 2022
- Edited by Jason L. Hanson and Steve W. Turner