DENVER – The Denver City Council has officially adopted the Comprehensive Plan 2040 and Blueprint Denver. The two citywide plans are part of a bold vision for responsible growth that envisions an inclusive, connected and healthy Denver, and —for the first time — the plans consider social equity factors like vulnerability to displacement, allowing for programs and policies tailored to meet the needs of each neighborhood.
“Comprehensive Plan 2040 and Blueprint will promote and ensure responsible, equitable growth here in Denver, and tonight’s vote is the result of years of work and thousands of people getting involved to shape and create a more inclusive, connected and healthy city,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “These plans reflect the type of city our residents want Denver to be today and in the future – this is the community’s vision, and we look forward to continuing to partner with the community to implement their vision.”
“Community Planning and Development is grateful to the thousands of community members who shared their voices and ideas, as well as the volunteers and staff who dedicated the last three years to creating this vision for the city,” said Jill Jennings Golich, interim executive director of Community Planning and Development. “We look forward to beginning the work of implementing these plans and continuing to work with the community to make this vision a reality.”
Prior to Council adoption, the two plans were unanimously approved by the Denver Planning Board and reviewed by City Council’s Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which also voted unanimously to advance the plans to the full Council.
Next steps
Comprehensive Plan 2040 will now begin serving as a guiding document, ensuring that the community’s long-term vision informs decisions across the city as budget season approaches. Likewise, Blueprint Denver will begin informing land use decisions, such as rezonings, and other planning processes that take cues from adopted plans. For example, Blueprint Denver’s framework will provide the foundation and vocabulary for neighborhood plans, which will calibrate citywide goals according to neighborhood goals, needs and challenges.