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๐ƒ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ƒ๐ž๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ'๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ƒ๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐Ž๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐’๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐’๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐Ÿ 10-๐Œ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ญ๐ž-๐๐ž๐ข๐ ๐ก๐›๐จ๐ซ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐’๐ญ๐š๐ง๐๐š๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ŸŒ†

Arriving inย City and County of Denverย on a scorching Saturday afternoon in July for theย ACM SIGGRAPHย conference ๐ŸŒž, Sibylle Wรคlty's first impression of downtown was striking: wide roads, towering office buildings, and an emerging skyline of mid- and high-rise residential structures. Yet, the streets seemed unusually empty, with few shops and pedestrians ๐Ÿšถโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿšถโ€โ™€๏ธ.


Data fromย Downtown Denver Partnership revealed some interesting facts about downtown Denver:


๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐†๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก ๐Ÿ“ˆ: Downtown Denverโ€™s population density is approximately 13 000 residents per square mile, with an overall city average of 4 600 residents per square mile. Despite this significant increase since 2000, Downtown Denver still falls short of the 30 000 residents per square mile typically associated with 10-minute neighborhoods ๐Ÿ™๏ธ.


๐„๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐‡๐ฎ๐› ๐Ÿ’ผ: With nearly 150 000 jobs downtown, Denver far exceeds the minimum density for vibrant urban areas, boasting around 60 000 jobs per square mile.ย 


๐”๐ซ๐›๐š๐ง ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐Ÿ›๏ธ: Denver appointed its first Chief of Urban Design in 2020 to spearhead efforts in sustainability, livability, and equity. This role was crucial in transforming Denver's urban landscape by enhancing functionality, creating walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods, and promoting inclusivity ๐ŸŒฟ๐Ÿ™๏ธ.


๐‚๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐‹๐ž๐š๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉย ๐Ÿš€: Overall, it appears that Mayorย Mike Johnstonย is making bold moves to tackle the challenges of a city experiencing rapid business growth while facing a housing shortage. A key focus is ensuring that secondary teachers and other vital professionals can find housing within walking distance, addressing both current and future needs ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿซ. See the rise of Denverย CNBCย ๐Ÿ‘‡.


Despite the impressive numbers, the second impression remained unchanged: even on weekdays, downtown streets are surprisingly quiet with minimal traffic and pedestrian activity ๐Ÿš—๐Ÿ›ฃ๏ธ. Could the quiet streets on weekdays be a result of remote work trends? ๐Ÿค”


Fun fact: Colorado is recognized as the best state for women entrepreneurs! ๐ŸŒŸ




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