Reimaging Denver will take creativity and collaboration to address needs of growing city

DENVER -- In a city growing as fast as Denver, with success comes challenges. As people flock to the Mile High City, a conversation is taking place about how to make sure the city is a welcoming place for everyone.

"How do we grow? Are we being welcoming? Are we being inclusive? Are we creating affordable housing options," said Tami Door, the Downtown Denver Partnership's President and CEO.

The Rocky Mountain City Summit encouraged attendees to imagine a city of the future. Business executives, elected officials and civic leaders gathered for the forum put on by the Downtown Denver Partnership. It focused on collaboration and innovation to tackle challenges.

"Right now, one of the biggest challenges is equity. Folks don’t feel included in our city’s success, and my biggest takeaway is that transportation mobility is connected to inclusion and equity," said Denver City Council President Albus Brooks.

Two of the biggest challenges are transportation and affordable housing. This year, Denver created the city's first dedicated affordable housing fund.

"The middle class gets kind of priced out of your cities out of your community. I think we’re far enough out on this that we can begin to mitigate that and plan around it and make sure that we have resources to make sure that we do have a place for working people to live," said Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Creating a welcoming place also means having a vibrant city center. Officials with the Downtown Denver Partnership have been working on ways to attract people to places like the 16th Street Mall through various events like Meet in the Streets.