The Presidential Initiative is intended to foster excellence and preeminence in urban and place-based research and creative work at CU Denver through offering funding, coordinating faculty across campus, communicating outcomes, enabling connections with partners in the community, and serving as a resource for sharing data and best practices. In so doing, it is intended to both increase the impact of CU Denver’s urban and place-based research and creative work, and to attract and fund faculty and students interested in this domain. While focused on urban issues generally, the Initiative emphasizes work relevant to the Front Range, particularly when it has implications nationally or internationally.
The Initiative funds projects that address critical and timely topics related to cities, such as: Social and Environmental Justice, Equity and Inclusion, Affordable Housing, Plan Making, Public Spaces, Global Cities, Smart Cities, Urban Informatics, Artificial Intelligence for Cities, Infrastructure, Transportation and Mobility, Climate Adaptation, Green Infrastructure, Air and Water Quality, Urban Ecology, Biomimicry, Green Real Estate Development, Public Health, Water and Energy Use, Natural Hazards Mitigation, Environmental Policy, Public Finance, Historic Preservation, Creative Industries, Placemaking, Community Development, Arts and Urban Revitalization, Healthcare Access, Economic Development, Behavioral Economics, Education Policy and Practice, Public Policy and Governance, Public Safety, Public Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Urban Design, Construction Management, and much more.
The 2021 Request for Proposals for seed grants is now closed. Full descriptions of the projects awarded in the 2020 round of funding are given from the links below.
2021 Award Recipients
Seeking Housing Affordability in the Denver Metro Area: Detailing the causes and outcomes of the housing crisis to inform local and national solutions
Date: 11/1/2021
Principal Researchers: Carrie Makarewicz
Unit: Department of Urban & Regional Planning
Project Abstract: Homelessness, housing cost burden, and the threat of eviction have reached crisis levels in Metro Denver and other regions in Colorado and the U.S. Researchers and service providers know the number one reason people experience homelessness in Metro Denver is the lack of attainable housing. But while federal, state, and local governments, foundations, and nonprofits are working to address various components of the housing crisis, developers continue to build luxury homes and apartments, with a primary focus on single family homes—a housing product that is least suitable for most households in the region, now and in the future. To shift new housing development to housing prices and types that are most needed, this project asks several questions to uncover the reasons for the significant mismatch between supply and demand. To answer our questions, we employ a mixed-methods approach using detailed historical, current, and proposed parcel-level housing information compared to detailed household information, including databases on unhoused individuals and other vulnerable populations, to identify: a) historical, current and potential patterns of housing development in relation to land use policies, local conditions, and economic influences, and b) the specific housing gaps at small geographies throughout the region. Through qualitative information from focus groups with developers and local governments, we test our assumptions on the causes for the extreme affordability gap, thereby improving our ability to inform changes to local policies, land use codes, and housing advocacy strategies that will encourage more substantial production of affordable and attainable housing.
Carrie Makarewicz Bio: Dr. Makarewicz is an associate professor in Urban & Regional Planning at CU Denver. She researches the implications for individuals from the interactions among public and private sector investments and policies for housing, transportation, neighborhoods, and schools. Her focuses include multi-modal transportation, affordable housing, public schools, community development, and disaster recovery. She has been a change management consultant, city planner, and policy analyst. She has a BBA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a Master’s in Urban Planning & Public Affairs from the University of Illinois-Chicago, and a Ph.D. in City & Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Photo Credit: Denver Post
2020 Award Recipients
Seeking Housing Affordability in the Denver Metro Area: Detailing the causes and outcomes of the housing crisis to inform local and national solutions
Date: 11/1/2021
Principal Researchers: Carrie Makarewicz
Unit: Department of Urban & Regional Planning
Project Abstract: Homelessness, housing cost burden, and the threat of eviction have reached crisis levels in Metro Denver and other regions in Colorado and the U.S. Researchers and service providers know the number one reason people experience homelessness in Metro Denver is the lack of attainable housing. But while federal, state, and local governments, foundations, and nonprofits are working to address various components of the housing crisis, developers continue to build luxury homes and apartments, with a primary focus on single family homes—a housing product that is least suitable for most households in the region, now and in the future. To shift new housing development to housing prices and types that are most needed, this project asks several questions to uncover the reasons for the significant mismatch between supply and demand. To answer our questions, we employ a mixed-methods approach using detailed historical, current, and proposed parcel-level housing information compared to detailed household information, including databases on unhoused individuals and other vulnerable populations, to identify: a) historical, current and potential patterns of housing development in relation to land use policies, local conditions, and economic influences, and b) the specific housing gaps at small geographies throughout the region. Through qualitative information from focus groups with developers and local governments, we test our assumptions on the causes for the extreme affordability gap, thereby improving our ability to inform changes to local policies, land use codes, and housing advocacy strategies that will encourage more substantial production of affordable and attainable housing.
Carrie Makarewicz Bio: Dr. Makarewicz is an associate professor in Urban & Regional Planning at CU Denver. She researches the implications for individuals from the interactions among public and private sector investments and policies for housing, transportation, neighborhoods, and schools. Her focuses include multi-modal transportation, affordable housing, public schools, community development, and disaster recovery. She has been a change management consultant, city planner, and policy analyst. She has a BBA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a Master’s in Urban Planning & Public Affairs from the University of Illinois-Chicago, and a Ph.D. in City & Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Photo Credit: Denver Post
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