NEIGHBORHOOD REVItALIZATION STRATEGY update

Wheat Ridge, CO

How can Wheat Ridge maintain its values and character while managing neighborhood change?

SUMMARY

czb completed a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy for Wheat Ridge in 2005 and was invited back to update the work in 2018. The City had implemented many of the 2005 recommendations, and market conditions in Wheat Ridge and the Denver area had changed considerably in the intervening years. In the early months of the update process, our team realized that what the Wheat Ridge community needed in a new era was a plan to engage residents and create a common vision for how increasingly desirable neighborhoods might change over time.

czb worked for a full year with a steering committee of 27 community members. The core recommendation was a new framework for engaging residents at a neighborhood level to build the capacity to manage community change.

WHEAT RIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION STRATEGY UPDATE

Robust Community Engagement

The tireless work of steering committee members was supplemented by an online survey, multiple open house events throughout the year, and newsletters to keep everyone updated and informed.

"While no one can predict the future, czb definitely cuts through the noise to give leadership the clarity and tools to move in the right direction. czb delivered a manageable, focused plan with robust stakeholder support through a masterful process of inquiry, analysis, and constantly drilling down to underlying, core issues."

- Rachel Hultin | Wheat Ridge City Council

Recommendations to Guide Engagement and Investments

Alongside the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy update, czb partnered with MJB Consulting to analyze Wheat Ridge's retail market and explore opportunities for new investment in important commercial corridors.

During 2020, Wheat Ridge began building a robust neighborhood engagement program, adding staff and technology platforms that will bring the NRS recommendation to life.