Happy New Year! Things are full swing ahead with the Advancing Equity in Rezoning project. Last fall, we shared a request for task force members across social media and through community groups across Denver. We received a tremendous response! Thank you to everyone who expressed their interest. If you applied but were not selected, we hope you will continue to be involved in this work in a different way. We value everyone’s input and will have numerous opportunities to ensure your perspective is heard. 

The first task force meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 12. It is open to the public to observe and will be recorded and made available on the project webpage. 

Task Force Meeting #1 

3-5 p.m., Wednesday, January 12, 2022 

Observe via Zoom

The project will host focus groups, community meetings, surveys, interviews, office hours and more. Keep an eye on the project website for upcoming events and meetings. Each stage of community engagement will address specific goals and the feedback received will be used to refine recommendations. Initially, engagement is intended to create a shared understanding of the project and process, its parameters, and start to identify issues and opportunities for the project to address. As the project progresses, engagement will focus on evaluating background and peer city research, further defining the issues and opportunities, confirming the problem identification and then evaluating, developing, and providing feedback on alternatives that will solve for the identified goals and objectives. Once a recommended strategy is identified, community feedback will be solicited to fine-tune the strategy.

Task force members will help develop strategies to modernize the rezoning process in order to advance Blueprint Denver’s equity concepts by reviewing best practices for rezonings, identifying key issues rezoning applicants and communities currently encounter and refining alternatives and recommendations for improving this process. Task force members were selected from the more than 80 community members who expressed their interest. The task force includes a diverse range of stakeholders from across Denver with experience in neighborhood advocacy and/or the rezoning process and who bring various equity lenses to the discussion. 

As the city grows and changes, buildings and their uses change too. Refreshing the rezoning process will allow us to better incorporate Denver's values and priorities as articulated in Comprehensive Plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver, both adopted in 2019. The Advancing Equity in Rezoning project aims to improve transparency and access to the rezoning process, consider the impact of rezonings on neighboring residents and properties, and explore how rezonings can lead to equitable outcomes that better serve all community members, such as access to open space, public transportation, housing and employment opportunities. 

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