Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways
Twenty-one byways, including
the National Scenic Byways, make up the Colorado Scenic and
Historic Byways Program. The program is a statewide partnership intended to provide
recreational, educational, and economic benefits to Coloradans and visitors.
The system of routes making up the Colorado Byways program provides travelers
with interpretation and identification of key points of interests and
services along the way, while providing for the protection of significant
resources. Graduate interns at Colorado Center for Community Development (CCCD)
conduct surveys on the Byways funded by a grant from the Colorado Department of
Transportation. The outcome is to provide communities along the byways with
valuable insight into the market characteristics of byway travelers.
Scenic Byway Projects include:
Alpine Loop, Unaweep/Tabeguache, West Elk
Loop, Los
Caminos Antiguos, Silver
Thread, Highway
of Legends, Flat
Tops Trail, Guanella
Pass, Mount
Evans, Peak to
Peak, Cache la
Poudre, Lariat
Loop, Pawnees
Pioneer Trail, South Platte River Trail
The Kitchen Community Project
School
gardening programs have become increasingly popular as a tool used in promoting
healthy eating habits among children.
Concurrently, research has shown that improving eating habits causes a
reduction in obesity. These gardens,
primarily planted on school grounds, also have the potential for increasing community
awareness on the importance of healthy eating choices. The end result is that school/community
gardens (particularly in low income neighborhoods) ultimately increase
food literacy, increase healthy eating habits while promoting and encouraging
community engagement. The
Kitchen Community Experimental Learning Garden (ELG) will provide a unique,
engaging and accessible integrated program and environment. The University of Colorado in partnership
with Kitchen Community will implement ELGR as the research/evaluation component
for the innovative project. A landscape
studio at the University, led by Chris Schooler, will be developing the new ‘Garden in a Box’ method. This will
create a prototype to test in a dozen schools before being launched on a larger
scale.
The
Five Points Business District asked CCCD to be a part of the Welton Street
Corridor vision plan and revitalization. Civic involvement was a key method
used to determine the best urban planning strategies for the district. CCCD was
involved in conducting community workshops, community surveys, and focus group
discussions to not only identify concerns, but also come up with potential
solutions to the project. CCCD assisted
in leveraging leadership in the neighborhood, as well as involving businesses
from the public and private sector. Discussions ranged from culture to land
use, residents, business owners and interested citizens to input a vision
behind the plan. This process allowed for numerous feedback cycles, ensuring
the plan meets the needs of residents in both the present and future.