Activate Denvers

Urban Core
The Future of Denvers
16th Street Mall

Outline

Reimagining the 16th St Mall

1. Vision / Ambition
Outcomes
Process
2. What streets perform with this vision?
3. How is 16th Street performing today?
In the frame of downtown Denver
4. Process for Change
Iterative testing
What we are doing now
5. 16th Street Reimagined
New identity for 16th Street
Moving forward

Vision and Ambition

How do we transform a utilitarian street...

DENVER
UNION ST

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T

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CR
RO E A
U T T IO
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ST

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ST

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ET

ET

BROADWAY

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AL

16
TH

ST

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ET

AURARIA
CIVIC CENTER
STATION

CIVIC CENTER
PARK

...to a world class destination!

DENVER
UNION ST

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RO E A
U T T IO
E N

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BROADWAY

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T

ET

AURARIA
CIVIC CENTER
STATION

CIVIC CENTER
PARK

...to a network of urban spaces & complete streets

DENVER
UNION ST

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RO E A
U T T IO
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U

IS

ST

BROADWAY

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T

CA

F
LI

RN

IA

ST

ET

AURARIA
CONVENTION
CENTER

E
GL

AR

CIVIC CENTER
STATION

ST

CIVIC CENTER
PARK

Activate Denvers Core

The Next Stage

The Outdoor Downtown

The Future of Denvers Performing

Arts Complex
The Next Stage is a planning project
that reviews both the highest and
best use of spaces at the Denver
Performing Arts Complex and the
integration of the Colorado Convention
Center into the neighborhood that
comprises the Denver Theatre District
in downtown Denver.

The Future of Denvers Parks &

Public Spaces
The 20-year plan will focus on
investment in Downtowns parks and
public spaces to enhance the quality of
life and create a sustainable, vibrant
downtown that is economically healthy
and growing

The Mall Experience

The Future of Denvers 16th Street Mall
Invite people to better enjoy the 16th Street
Mall by visiting more often and staying longer.
Identifying ways to help the mall reach its full
potential as a welcoming place for everyone
and the heart of a vibrant downtown.

16th Street is already...

an iconic, nationally recognized transit mall

It is time to reimagine it as...

A premier public place for people...

An authentic Denver experience

16th Street is already...

a place where 50k people pass through

It is time to reimagine...

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More invitations to spend time,

to linger, to socialize

Meeting / Standing, Sitting

Special Activities / Classes, Workshops,

Tours, Standing, Sitting

Retreating / Sense of Enclosure,

Wifi Jungle

Intermediate / Activities While

Waiting, Spontaneous

11

16th Street is already...

A place for workers and commuters

It is time to reimagine...

12

More opportunities for children

and families

13

16th Street is already...

a vital downtown connector

It is time to reimagine...

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The Mall as not only one street but many... to express

adjacent neighborhood identity and character

BALLPARK

LODO

BALLPARK

ARAPAHOE
SQUARE

CENRAL PLATTE
VALLEY

LODO
CENRAL PLATTE
VALLEY

COMMERCIAL
CORE

AURARIA

Neighborhood character

ARAPAHOE
SQUARE

COMMERCIAL
CORE

CULTURAL
CORE

AURARIA

CULTURAL
CORE

Street character

15

16th Street is already...

a place where locals meet people they know

It is time to reimagine...

16

Possibilities for spontaneous, playful

and unexpected encounters

17

16th Street is already...

a vital bus corridor

It is time to reimagine...

18

Opportunities for more freedom of mobility walk, bike, car share, etc.

BUS

MOVING

STAYING

BUS / MOVING / STAYING

From prioritizing one

To inviting all to move through

group over others

and spend time there

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The 16th Street mall was a progressive,

innovative transportation project for its time

20

What great streets

exhibit this vision?

40

Best Practice

Convent Garden, London

41

Best Practice

Convent Garden, London

40,000
people avg on
weekdays

70,000

on weekends

27%

SPENDING TIME
42

Best Practice

Broadway, New York

42 ND

9,500 ft long
100 ft wide

25 TH
43

Best Practice

Broadway, New York

45,000
people avg on
weekdays

52,000
on weekends
on weekends

23%

spending time

44

Best Practice

Strget, Copenhagen

3,588 ft long
40-110 ft wide

45

Best Practice

Strget, Copenhagen

72,000
people avg on
weekdays

81,000

on weekends

35%

spending time
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Street Comparison

Block Width and Interruptions

Strget

getfeet
Str
3,588
Strget
1.1km
t
fee
3,5
388blocks
3,588
feet
km
1.1
1.1km
blocks
3with
(3.2km
allsquares
3
blocks
and additional streets included)
squares
all squares
with all
(3.2km with
(3.2km
included)
ets
stre
additional streets included)
and additional
and

Lincoln Rd
5,300 feet
15 blocks

16TH STREET MALL,

DENVER
5,300 FT
(15 BLOCKS)

BROADWAY
(25TH ST TO 42TH ST)
MANHATTAN
4,756 FT
(18 BLOCKS)

SWANSTON ST,
MELBOURNE
3,775 FT
(10 BLOCKS)

STRGET,
COPENHAGEN
3,588 FT
(3 BLOCKS)

3rd St Pormenade
nade
feet
Porme
3rd St 2,000
feet
3 blocks
00
3rd St
2,0 Pormenade
3 blocks
feet
2,000
3 blocks

3RD ST PROMENADE,
SANTA MONICA
2,000 FT
(3 BLOCKS)

Lincoln Rd
Lincoln Rd
3,000 feet
3,000 feet
blokcs
Lincoln

kcsRd
blo
8 8
3,000 feet
8 blokcs

LINCOLN ROAD,
MIAMI
3,000 FT
(9 BLOCKS)

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Street Comparison
Series of Public Spaces

Strget
Strget
Strget
3,588
3,588feet
feet
3,588
1.1km
1.1kmfeet
1.1km
33blocks
blocks
3 blocks
(3.2km
(3.2kmwith
withall
allsquares
squares
(3.2km with
all squares
and
andadditional
additional
streets
streets
included)
included)
and additional streets included)

Lincoln Rd
5,300 feet
15 blocks

16TH STREET MALL,

DENVER
5,300 FT
(15 BLOCKS)

BROADWAY
(25TH ST TO 42TH ST)
MANHATTAN
4,756 FT
(18 BLOCKS)

SWANSTON ST,
MELBOURNE
3,775 FT
(10 BLOCKS)

STRGET,
COPENHAGEN
3,588 FT
(3 BLOCKS)

3rd
3rdSt
StPormenade
Pormenade
3rd2,000
St Pormenade
2,000
feet
feet
feet
332,000
blocks
blocks
3 blocks

3RD ST PROMENADE,
SANTA MONICA
2,000 FT
(3 BLOCKS)

Lincoln
LincolnRd
Rd
Lincoln
3,000
3,000
feet
feetRd
feet
8
83,000
blokcs
blokcs
8 blokcs

LINCOLN ROAD,
MIAMI
3,000 FT
(9 BLOCKS)

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How does 16th Street perform for people?

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16TH STREET
WYNKOOP ST

5,300 ft long
80 ft wide

COURT PL
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28,000
people passing
through
(16th between Champa - Stout,
(Summer)

1%

SPENDING TIME
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55,000
people using the
free mall ride
every day
According to RTD data 2012
(Summer weekday)

one bus every

1.5
mins

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ASYMMETRICAL
BLOCKS

ORIGINAL MALL
1982

SYMMETRICAL / MEDIAN BLOCKS

TREMONT PL

ARAPAHOE ST

LODO
EXTENSION
1994

MARKET ST

DUS
EXTENSION
2012

WYNKOOP ST

16th street mall expansion segments

ASYMMETRICAL
BLOCKS

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Existing Condition
Compartmentalized and restricted

Standing /

Sitting

Walking

Walking

Cafe
Seating

19

10

22 (14)

10

sidewalk

transit lane

median
(useable space)

transit lane

11
sidewalk

8
outdoor
serving

SECTION BETWEEN
CHAMPA AND STOUT

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How Do We Get There?

Process for Change

61

Summer Pilots

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Transit Network

During Meet in the Street

16TH ST MALL SHUTTLE
FREE METRO SHUTTLE
LIGHT RAIL
16TH STREET
BUS/RAIL STOP
*NOTE: PROPOSED MALL
SHUTTLE ROUTE SAME
AS MEET IN THE STREET
DETOUR

MITS
2015

(Alternative Transit
Routes)

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We know it works
Pedestrian Data

MEET IN THE
STREET EVENT
20th July &
August 10th
2014

Summer weekday vs. weekend MITS

Regular Sunday

MITS

MITS Event

Aug10

12,000

July 20

Number of Pedestrians per hour

10,000

Regular
Sunday

8,000

MITS 2014: Avg Both

Meet in the Streets Dates
Diagramtitel

3500
3000 4,000
2500
2000 2,000
1500

1pm
Weekday

MITS July

2pm

MITS July

August

3pm

17th / Glenarm
and Welton

12

17th / Champa
and Curtis

16th / Glenarm
and Welton

500

16th / Champa
and Curtis

0
15th / Glenarm
and Welton

1000

15th / Champa
and Curtis

quantity of people

4000 6,000

MITS 2014
More Optional Activities

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Current Plan

Meet in the Street: Summer 2015

5 Sundays
SEATING, PROGRAMMING,
& TRAVEL, EVA LANE
LOCATIONS TBD

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Last Years Success

Meet in the Street: Summer 2014

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An iterative process takes time

2015-2016

0238

4000

3000

2000

Weekday 23,950/Day

1000

Weekend 5,250/Day
8:00am

Plan MITS

9:00am

10:00am

11:00am

12:00pm

1:00pm

2:00pm

3:00pm

4:00pm

5:00pm

6:00pm

7:00pm

Evaluate
MITS pilots

Baseline survey

MITS sunday
pilot
Monitor + Adjust

Plan evaluate
Public consultation
about recounting

Weekday
lunch pilots

Outreach plan
refinement

MITS on Mall
plus sidestreets
Short-term
alternative bus
route

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Moving forward
next steps

Public Space Public Life Survey on the wider downtown area

(including Denvers Outdoor Downtown, Next Stage)
Explore Future Conditions ON and OFF the Mall
Short-term tests, transverse streets, strategies for
pedestrianizing public spaces
Develop overarching strategic document for the downtown
public space network and public life activation plan
Apply lessons learned for future pilots in 2016

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