Via Verde

Creating Safer Access and Movement through Denver’s Westwood neighborhood

Via Verde was identified as a potential “intuitive and memorable network” that promotes multi-modal transportation along a safer, greener, cooler system of connections in the historically disenfranchised Westwood neighborhood. Detached, narrow sidewalks and a lack of ADA-compliant curb ramps forced families to walk in streets to get to services and destinations.

Alongside Trust for Public Land and the City of Denver, Stream co-facilitated a series of workshops where community concerns were put to the forefront and prioritized by feasibility to promote safer pedestrian and multi-modal routes for all generations of the Westwood community. The Via Verde Route connects people to schools, food sources, churches, greenways, bikeways, and suggests roadway and intersection improvements to maximize safety and provide a more pleasant experience. The re-imagined Via Verde will help reduce the urban heat island effect, offer green stormwater infrastructure, and provide increased tree canopy.