Denver joins Target Cities program

The Sun Valley neighborhood will get a new renewable and sustainable energy infrastructure as a result of Denver’s participation in Target Cities, a two-year partnership of nine development projects across seven North American cities designed to amplify and accelerate community regeneration.

The vision for Denver is to have a holistic, transformative and sustainable solution for the 100-acre Sun Valley neighborhood, with a goal of reducing energy consumption by more than 60 percent over local code standards.

"Sustainability is a value that is embedded in everything we do as an administration because the decisions we make today will affect generations we will never meet," says Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. "Creating healthy, sustainable cities begins at the neighborhood level."

The effort is the result of a partnership with EcoDistricts, the Portland, Ore.-based nonprofit behind Target Cities. Other EcoDistrict projects are in Atlanta; Boston; Cambridge, Mass.; Ottawa, Ontario; and Washington, D.C.

EcoDistricts acts as a strategic partner to each of the project teams to build robust governance models that will spur political and technical change.

"Denver is proud to join with other Target Cities around the country to develop sustainable and equitable communities through district-scale strategies and solutions that will positively impact the quality of life of residents and the local ecosystems," says Ismael Guerrero, executive director of the Denver Housing Authority.