#cityforall

The air quality on March 7 this year was funky to say the least. The flat yellowish hue of light made it hard to see as I arrived to my morning meeting in RiNo; it also smelled funny. Later that day we learned about a thermal anomaly that kept the pollution particles down making them harder than usual to ignore. But it’s no secret, particularly to those who live with asthma , that air quality in Denver is worsening . And a big portion of pollution particles that make it hard to breathe come from car exhaust.

Would we be healthier if we drove less? Most likely so. But is it possible in a growing city?

The most effective way to decrease driving is reducing the need. If we lived closer to where we work, learn, and play we wouldn’t have to drive so much. It would also make more sense for us to walk or bike. And public transportation would be more practical if more people lived closer together and closer to where they travel.

Single-Unit zoning in Denver is the most predominant zoning designation in residential neighborhoods in Denver. It keeps us far from our destinations and far from one another, forcing us to drive longer distances. It is the least-efficient form of land use in a city, consuming energy and water at much higher rate than more compact development. It requires more public infrastructure and support services. Single-Unit zoning also consumes land that could otherwise be used for parks and open space.

Denver’s zoning map, April 2019. The light-yellow areas are Single-Unit residential zoned areas.