How can a re-imagined riverfront park elevate people’s lives in one of Denver’s most vulnerable neighborhoods and simultaneously contribute to the enhancement of the South Platte River open space system? Working alongside Denver’s Sun Valley community and in partnership with the Denver Housing Authority, River Sister’s Initiative, and Denver Parks and Recreation, Livable Cities Studio is envisioning the new park as an open space with community-focused amenities for Sun Valley residents and regional users of the South Platte River.
The new riverfront park will offer open space and programming that reinforces the desires of the community, celebrates their culture, and tells a story of water that connects Colorado and Mexico. Weaving together community and nature, the park integrates community gardens, outdoor classrooms, playgrounds, sport courts and fields, picnic areas, and gathering spaces alongside an expansive river promenade highlighting the natural ecology of Colorado’s landscape and rivers. Livable Cities Studio led the master planning and conceptual design of the park. Ongoing stakeholder and community involvement process has resulted in a clear direction for the programming and design that focuses on community needs, which were balanced with citywide and regional goals.