Livable Cities Studio worked with the Downtown Denver Partnership, University of Colorado at Denver, and various Downtown stakeholders on the public realm design for Connecting Auraria. Declining vehicular activity, exaggerated by the pandemic, opened the possibility to dramatically re-envision this corridor as a curbless street with an emphasis on pedestrians and bicyclists.
What began as a rebuild of the 60-year-old Larimer Street Bridge crossing Cherry Creek, evolved into an effort that improves connectivity, promotes multimodal transportation, adds public art, and enhances the public realm experience between 14th Street and Southbound Speer. Stakeholder engagement was critical in understanding these additional opportunities and guided the work.
The design establishes a strong sense of place by creating a dual-sided gateway and cohesive character that links the campus to Larimer Square. The Larimer Street Bridge serves as the focal point, while considerations to pavement, lighting, and furniture create a comfortable and memorable promenade linking two key areas of Denver.
