College of Architecture and Planning University of Colorado Denver

Who We Are

CCCD’s Healthy Communities initiatives take a community-based approach to the creation of neighborhoods, towns, cities, or counties that support mental, social, and physical health.  CCCD’s Healthy Communities staff members have expertise in urban planning, community development, community organizing, research, evaluation, and marketing and outreach, and most are bi-lingual in English and Spanish.

Our Vision

Studies show that health is correlated to zip code, based in large part to access to factors such as fresh air, clean water, healthy food stores, open space, recreational spaces, and safe streets. Neighborhood factors affect our stress levels, our ability to eat nutritiously, and our ability to get exercise, and our exposure to toxic chemicals.  Healthy communities can mean different things to different people, so a meaningful resident-led process is necessary for true healthy communities to be developed. Our vision is that all people live in a community that enables them to live healthy lives.  

Who We Assist

CCCD partners with diverse communities throughout Colorado and the United States. Our scopes range in size, with experience conducting site planning and design for 1-acre areas, such as school yards, to assisting entire counties to conduct a comprehensive planning process.

How We Are Different

Our approach brings resident voices and ideas to the fore-front of planning and implementation phases. We set up an equal partnership between residents, consultants, and agencies rather than outside agencies dictating to residents what they need. In addition, CCCD is able to provide an innovative approach due to our location within the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning.  By utilizing graduate students in some aspects of the process, we are able to provide services that tend to affordable for small budgets.

Areas of Expertise (looking for a list of services)