Civic Centers

Denver’s Federal District: Placemaking in Progress

At first glance, the changes that have been taking place around downtown Denver’s four-block Federal District are easy to overlook: new benches on a plaza, an "ambassador" who greets visitors and dispenses directions, flowers on street corners and atop concrete security barriers, and a mural on a play-yard wall. Yet these changes, hope the property management staff in the GSA’s Rocky Mountain Region, are harbingers of better things to come. Their message is that the public spaces of the Federal District, which became what one observer called "a fortress" during the trial of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, are coming back to life. Though security is a continuing concern, their goal is to make the area more active, interesting, and welcoming -- a friendlier place for federal workers and visitors alike, and a catalyst for further public and private investment.

To read the full story, click here.