Mile High Tree Canopy

What do you think of when you hear "streetscape"? If you said "history", you will appreciate this informative case study presentation on the fascinating evolution of the 16th Street Mall project in downtown Denver, Colorado. While everyone involved in the project agreed that they needed trees, it took a lot of planning to agree on how best to include them.
Full Abstract: Countless concerned citizens, business owners, landscape architects, civil engineers and more spent several years planning the entire reconstruction of the famed 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. What may seem simple and routine was anything but. It started with history lessons for everyone involved. That set the tone for all future design meetings. Collaboration between so many diverse stakeholders posed challenges and inevitably led to delays, but the results are starting to show and they are glorious. As I write this abstract I just finished participating in the ASLA meeting and project tour hosted by Downtown Denver Partnership and the general contractor. Several landscape architects and contractors shared stories and opinions that tell a tremendous story. We can all benefit from their efforts. Let me share their stories with you. As a very small part of this massive project, I have been blessed with access to many decision makers and stakeholders over the past few years. With your approval I would like to weave those experiences into a story worth telling. We will definitely learn technical lessons and see details that will continue our professional education. More importantly we will embark of a journey of better understanding the important lessons that are not taught in school. It is a story of history, empathy, teamwork, selflessness and endurance all in the name of serving the public and providing better quality of life. Oh, and we will learn about trees and the reason they are so vital to such a critical infrastructure project. By the end of this presentation you will want to book a trip to Denver and walk along the 16th Street Mall with your new knowledge and perspective. And you will want to take these lessons into your next project planning meeting for important projects in your community. Invite me to visit so we can learn and grow together. Thank you.