Civitas to lead design for 5280 Loop

The Downtown Denver Partnership has selected urban design and landscape architecture firm Civitas to lead the design effort for the 5280 Loop, a project that will transform how the public right of way is used in downtown Denver.

The 5280 Loop will link neighborhoods and connect people by bringing underused streets into the downtown experience and uniting urban life with Colorado’s outdoor culture.

Denver-based Civitas’ outcome-based approach also attracted nationally known public health expert and HealthxDesign founder Rupal Sanghvi to join the team.

“Given the scale of what’s happening economically in Denver and the openness of the city to exploring how to achieve healthier outcomes, the 5280 Loop has the potential for impacting a population of some magnitude,” says Sanghvi, who was intrigued by the project’s prospects of serving as a model for “thinking more upstream” in promoting health through the physical shape of how we live, work and play.

The partnership and the project team are asking the community to help reimagine just over five miles of center city streets into a uniquely Denver amenity that prioritizes people, culture, nature and health. The 5280 Loop will promote active modes of transportation and connect many vibrant and diverse neighborhoods and civic destinations through the great urban outdoors. A conceptual design plan will be completed by September 2018.

“Cities around the world are rethinking the traditional definition of a street to go beyond just moving vehicles,” says John Desmond, the partnership’s executive vice president for urban environment. “The 5280 Loop will be Denver’s answer on how to transform a network of our streets into iconic shared spaces that will continue to move people and connect neighborhoods. At the same time, they’ll promote community and celebrate the urban experience in an authentically Denver way.”

For more on the project click here.