You had a lot to say about your neighborhoods! Here's what we've heard
The kickoff phase of the Near Northwest Area planning process has come to a close! We are grateful for everyone who shared their thoughts on the neighborhoods of Chaffee Park, Highland, Jefferson Park and Sunnyside.

Whether taking the online survey, attending the virtual community kickoff or talking with a planner in person at a neighborhood event, community members offered input that will serve as the basis for the next phase of the planning process: creating a long-term vision for the future of these neighborhoods.
Here is a glance at public input in several topic areas
On Land Use
The primary theme related to land use in the NNW area is the changing character of the neighborhood, especially as it pertains to housing. While there is acknowledgment that the neighborhood can evolve, the pace of change and new buildings that are out of scale with the neighborhood are concerning to many. Respondents said they do like the mix of uses in the neighborhood and the architectural variety of housing types.
On Mobility
Safety for pedestrians and cyclists came up as a significant concern due to speeding cars and unsafe crossings. On the positive side, people generally felt the neighborhoods were walkable to amenities and well connected to Downtown Denver. Stakeholders in Jefferson Park were more likely than other neighborhoods to comment on mobility issues, with specific comments pertaining to pedestrian crossings at Federal, Jefferson Park and Speer Boulevard.
On Economy and Housing
Local restaurants, retail and pockets of neighborhood commercial activity are a strong suit for the NNW area. The greatest percentage of likes on the survey pertained to economic development, which included local businesses, restaurants, commercial “nodes” and mix of uses. The major challenge in the area pertains to housing affordability and concerns over gentrification and displacement. While a common theme overall, respondents in Sunnyside were slightly more likely than those in other neighborhoods to site new density, development, and affordability as dislikes in the area.
On Quality of Life
The community really likes the parks in the NNW neighborhoods but feel that many of them could use more amenities, including a dog park. Additionally, the recreation centers were seen as an asset but are in need of modernization and improved quality. The need for more grocery stores was also commonly cited.
Other resources on the project webpage
Along with the summary of our outreach and what we heard from the community, the Near Northwest Area Plan webpage has been updated to include a draft community engagement strategy (PDF) informed by your input. This document is intended to evolve over the course of the project as we hear from the community.

Also available are resources the planning team has put together to help inform the plan and the planning process.
The Existing Conditions Briefing book (PDF) is a collection of historical background information, existing conditions data, benchmark comparisons, and summaries of existing plans and studies meant to serve as a reference guide to be consulted and built upon throughout the planning process.
This Neighborhood Pattern Book (PDF) documents the key physical design characteristics of the Near Northwest Plan Area and is intended to serve as an informative guide about quantitative and qualitative elements that are found on-the-ground today and as a resource to residents and stakeholders.
About the Near Northwest Area Plan
The Near Northwest Planning Area is made up of the Northwest Denver neighborhoods east of Federal Boulevard: Chaffee Park, Sunnyside, Highland, and Jefferson Park. As part of the Neighborhood Planning Initiative, this project provides an opportunity to create a long-term vision for these neighborhoods that furthers citywide goals and priorities while addressing local neighborhood needs.