A project of the Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP), the 5280 Trail is a 5.280 mile trail that, once complete, will encircle downtown Denver, connecting neighborhoods and landmarks. When the design process for the trail began in 2019, it drew comparisons to New York City’s High Line. In an interview with Rocky Mountain PBS last month, officials with the DDP said the project that most inspired them was the Cultural Trail in Indianapolis.
The 5280 Trail is designed to connect high-traffic neighborhoods like La Alma/Lincoln Park, Capitol Hill and LoDo, to name a few, while also making stops at popular destinations like Union Station, Coors Field and the Colorado State Capitol building.
“We’re in desperate need of open space and park space in our city and near our neighborhoods, and this is really meant to provide that space,” said Andrew Iltis, the director of economic development at DDP.
“We began to look around the country to see some really great examples of how these types of trails were being integrated into urban environments,” explained Tami Door, DDP’s president & CEO (Door is leaving her post in November).
Door explained four goals that implementing the 5280 Trail would meet: “Creating a mosaic of districts, increasing bike mobility, connecting neighborhoods, creating an outdoor downtown.”
“This is a very big vision,” Door added. “This is the type of infrastructure project that will transform our city and the way our neighborhoods and people connect with each other.” In terms of the size of the project and how it would change the city’s urban landscape, the 5280 Trail, Door said, is “on par” with the 16th Street Mall.
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