With Denver Metro housing costs soaring, concerns about displacement and its discontents have also surged. In March, ULI Colorado convened 100 Denver-area leaders to discuss viable solutions. ULI is proud to release Six Principles for Equitable Revitalization, by Denver writer David Sachs, summarizing ideas put forth by the real estate developers, public officials, and community activists who attended the ULI Colorado forum, “The Search for Equity in Neighborhood Revitalization.” The March 2017 forum was keynoted by Egbert Perry of Integral, one of the nation’s leading developers of mixed-income housing, and sponsored by Gary Community Investments.

“As the investors in and practitioners of urban redevelopment, ULI members are both part of the problem and the solution to the issue of involuntary displacement of long-time culture, residents and businesses,” says Michael Leccese, executive director of ULI Colorado. “The forum created consensus that new investment in underserved neighborhoods is a good thing, but much more must be done to share benefits among a broader population.”

This groundbreaking report highlights community land trusts, proactive community planning, policy recommendations, increased public support, and converting surplus public and institutional lands to mixed-income housing as ways to mitigate involuntary displacement. Case studies include the work of The Ashley at Union Station neighborhood, City of Lakes Community Land Trust, Mariposa, the Sun Valley EcoDistrict, Terrazza del Sol, and the work of the Urban Land Conservancy.

Project partners included:

Sponsor: Gary Community Investments

Community Partners: ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing, Progressive Urban Management Associates, and Mile High Connects

Organizing Committee: Tracy Huggins, Denver Urban Renewal Authority; Chris Parr, Sun Valley EcoDistrict; Bo Pitto, JLL; Brad Segal, Progressive Urban Management Associates; and Kyle Zeppelin, Zeppelin Development

Forum speakers:

Veronica Barela, President and CEO, NEWSED
Shannon Cox-Baker, Principal, SCB Consulting LLC
Eric Kornacki, Executive Director, Re:Vision
Monique Lovato, CEO & Executive Director, Mi Casa Resource Center,
Renee Martinez-Stone, Director, West Denver Renaissance Collaborative, DHA
Aaron Miripol, President & CEO, Urban Land Conservancy
Stephen Moore, Policy Director, FRESC
Jennifer Newcomer, Director of Shift Research Lab, The Piton Foundation
Chris Parr, Senior Advisor, Sun Valley EcoDistrict
Egbert Perry, Chairman & CEO, The Integral Group
Melinda Pollack, VP of Transit Oriented Development and Denver market leader, Enterprise Community Partners
Brad Segal, Founder & President, Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA)
Erik L. Soliván, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office Housing & Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE)
Dace West, Executive Director, Mile High Connects
Chris Woldum, VP of Finance & Development, Zeppelin Development

The project director was Sarah Franklin, senior manager of ULI Colorado. Stockton Williams, Executive Vice President of ULI and Executive Director of the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing, wrote the report’s introduction.