Denver Delivers Green Upgrades at Planting Day on West 14th Avenue

Denver Delivers Green Upgrades at Planting Day on West 14th Avenue

Published on October 18, 2024

DOTI Pilots Swift-Implementation Approach to Green Infrastructure

DENVER - Today, representatives of Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) and Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) gathered with local community members and volunteers to plant native and climate-resilient vegetation at intersections along West 14^th Avenue, replacing water-intensive turf grass with green infrastructure that will filter and treat stormwater runoff and cool the environment.

The work is part of a DOTI pilot initiative to deliver green infrastructure and environmental benefits through a quick-implementation approach and in close collaboration with community members. Representatives of CASR, the West Colfax Association of Neighbors (WeCAN) and DOTI did a "walk and roll" earlier this year to identify the planting locations and design a vision for the project to best serve people and the planet. Once installed, DOTI will maintain the sites and apply what they learned during the pilot to roll the program out to locations in Denver's neighborhoods most in need of heat-mitigating green infrastructure.

The current project is placing trees and a variety of plantings at two intersections along West 14^th Avenue, totaling an area of approximately 0.25 acres. Through this project, 22 trees will be planted between the two intersections and hundreds of native grasses and perennials. The installations will provide pollinator habitat and demonstrate sustainable planting methods that neighbors can replicate to mitigate heat and improve the quality of the water that runs to the South Platte.

In addition to this pilot program, DOTI is incorporating green infrastructure in many large and small-scale projects. Example locations include the 39^th Avenue Greenway, Larimer Street between Speer Blvd and 14^th Street, Brighton Boulevard and the Carla Madison Recreation Center. Benefits include improved water quality, better air quality, reduced flooding risks, urban heat island effect mitigation, reduced energy demands, climate change resiliency and enhanced community livability. Denver's Division of Green Infrastructure is becoming a leader in using green infrastructure to simultaneously mitigate urban heat island and manage stormwater runoff from city streets.

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