Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan | Design of the Built Environment

Compact and Connected

Direct growth to Area 1-Urban Lands and encourage redevelopment and infill alongside potential expansion to maintain a compact community surrounded by rural lands.

Organize land uses into a coherent structure of neighborhoods, hubs, systems and special purpose areas that are linked by a multimodal transportation network.

Plan for daily needs that are accessible within 15 minutes by walking for pedestrians of all abilities, reducing trip distances and community reliance on single-occupancy vehicles and increasing social cohesion and resiliency.

Integrate greenways, parks, biodiversity and natural corridors into the urban fabric to connect people to nature and manage stormwater.

Complete and Functional

Support mixed-use hubs and corridors that concentrate housing, jobs and services near transit and mobility options.

Encourage neighborhoods that include diverse housing types, small-scale commercial activity and public spaces that foster social interaction and economic opportunity.

Align land use and transportation planning to create continuous, multimodal networks that improve connectivity and safety.

Human-Scaled and Climate-Responsive

Promote building designs that break up large facades and massing, minimize physical and visual impacts from excessive parking and create engaging architectural outcomes.

Prioritize a streetscape and public realm experience that incorporates human-scaled design elements, provides active uses at the ground level, is designed around movement at walking or rolling speeds and makes meaningful contributions to community character.

Incorporate nature-based solutions, such as tree canopy, green infrastructure and permeable landscapes, to reduce heat, manage stormwater and enhance biodiversity. Encourage energy-efficient and adaptable building design that supports long-term sustainability goals.

Encourage social and gathering spaces inside and outside buildings to promote interpersonal connection.

Distinct and Inclusive

Reinforce the unique character of Boulder’s neighborhoods and hubs through design that balances change with community identity.

Provide welcoming, accessible public spaces for people of all ages, abilities, cultures and backgrounds. Create a mix of types of public spaces geared towards intended users that are enriched with art and nature.

Ensure that urban form decisions advance equity, offering affordable housing and commercial spaces, safe mobility and inclusive access to amenities.