Graphic of University Hill area.Through the University Hill project in Boulder, student and faculty work through the Community Design Workshop has addressed multiple design and development opportunities, including revitalization of the commercial district and planning for adjoining residential areas; urban design around proposed hotels and a conference center;  improvements on the Broadway corridor and related walking/bicycle routes and facilities planning at the university. These projects will affect the vitality and livability of central Boulder and the University of Colorado Boulder. 

Public Art and Community Engagement (PACE) on University Hill
CEDaR coordinated the overall community design effort for the PACE project, which brought together teams of CU Boulder students and faculty working with the University Hill community to conceptualize, design and fabricate public art inspired by the Hill. This led to a public art commission for the "Community Living Room," an interactive sculpture in Beech Park, which was designed by students under the supervision of Marcel deLange, ENVD assistant clinical professor. The project has been approved by the city and will be built when COVID-19 permits. 

A group of 12, third-year students designed, fabricated and installed the piece of public/community art, while focusing on energizing the community and bringing together stakeholders. The students participated in their praxis semester, a design class that focuses on design-build education with community partners and “real clients." By keeping in touch with the community and having an art advisory board involved, we hope to transform a new generation of ENVD students to be socially responsible, sustainable, “master” builders and at the same time deliver an inspirational project to the University Hill neighborhood.

UniHill/Growing Up Boulder
Partnership with the city of Boulder
In fall of 2017, Cheryl Spear’s fourth-grade class from Flatirons Elementary participated in the Hill Redevelopment Project. The students developed creative ideas to make the 11th Street Corridor a fun and safer place for all ages. Improving the 11th Street corridor helped connect the Hill community to the renovated Civic Center at the base of 11th street and Arapahoe. During this eight-week process, students completed a site analysis, researched precedents and presented their final designs for 11th St. to city experts. Now that students have shared their ideas, experts working on the Hill Redevelopment project have a better understanding of how to make Boulder a more youth-friendly city.​​

Growing Up Boulder article about this project

 

Classes

CU-CITY DESIGN WORKSHOP ENVD 3144: History and Theory of ENVD: Systems
Instructor: Jota Samper (100 students)
Planning History Book

  • Survey and interview (100 students).

  • History of a designated portion of the study area.

  • Proposed design relevant to a creative district.

 

MENV 5346
Instructor: Brian Muller (25 students)

  • Major papers addressing a technical topic, e.g., design of business-improvement plans and neighborhood conservation plan model.
  • Preparation of neighborhood background material.

 

ENVD 3100
Instructors: Brian Muller, Mehdi Heris and Paul Glasgow (10 students)

  • Background maps for a neighborhood conservation plan.

  • Spatial analysis of identified problems.

 

Theatre/Dance class
Instructors: Beth Osnes and Nii Armah Sowah.

  • Interviews with the vendor/business owners.

  • Movement, words, interview material and art to share the vibrancy of the area.

 

Growing Up Boulder
Instructors: Mara Mintzer and Cathy Hill

  • Development of children/youth input to 11th Street corridor planning.

  • Coordination with Presbyterian Manor/Flatirons School.

 

LEAD 4000
Instructors: Stephen R. Sommer, Kira Pasquesi and Jennifer Korbelik

  • Team One–Public participation working group follow up–a “Neighborhood Design Lab."

  • Team Two–Outreach with underrepresented populations around community engagement needs.

  • Team Three–Administer the Hill perception survey as well as conduct focus groups with key Hill stakeholder groups.

 

Information below coming soon!

Background and Conditions > GiS Analysis of Social and Environmental Context

History and Morphology>

    Morphology and Lot Analysis Papers

    Morphology and Lot Analysis Poster

Issues and Opportunities>
    Class Papers

    Class Posters

    Class Presentations

Proposals and Design Concepts

Community Engagement> Children as a Stakeholder: Growing up Boulder Report