In the early 1980s, a development trend made popular in Chicago and New York, known commonly as the “plaza bonus,” made its way to Denver. This tower-in-a-park philosophy was created in larger cities to encourage developers to provide useable public space at the street level by providing incentives allowing buildings to exceed heights and square footage limits, typically governed by zoning.

The next trend in urban place making is taking place in Downtown Denver as we push design boundaries on the Downtown Denver Partnership’s 5280 Loop project. Inspired in part by New York City’s High Line, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and numerous European precedents, the 5280 Loop seeks to create a 5.280-mile linear park and “urban trail” to connect Denver’s unique and diverse center city neighborhoods celebrating their cherished character.

Smart city spotlight. No city will boast it has a low IQ, of course. But what makes a smart city? How the use of the latest in technology and data can actually change the infrastructure and the very fabric of a city, creating winners and losers, and where Denver fits into the smart city eco-system,…

Randy Thelen joined the Downtown Denver Partnership’s executive management team as vice president of economic development.

The Denver office market has evolved by leaps and bounds since Tami Door took the helm of the Downtown Denver Partnership more than a dozen years ago. “I’ve seen it evolve in a number of ways,” said Door, CEO and president of the partnership. “Some of those changes in the office market relate to that…

Amazon Prime. Amazon prime time in Denver, that is. You know what I’m talking about. Everyone in the Denver area is buzzing about the possibility that Amazon could plant its $5 billion flag - a second headquarters - in the Denver area. The New York Times even opined that Denver is the best choice for…