Beauty by Design

Every community starts with a plan. But not all plans are created equal. Stapleton provides a smarter blueprint. Smarter about how we use our resources. How we live. And how we all live together. Get the fast facts.

Stapleton’s plan is the result of more than six years of conversation and hundreds of town meetings (begun in 1989) with the people of Denver. The challenge was what to do with this unique property: 7.5 square miles of prime real estate within city limits. How could we transform the old, vacant Stapleton International Airport into a new place that would be of enduring value to the community, provide a path for future growth, and serve as an example of thoughtful, sustainable redevelopment?

The conversation culminated in 1995, in what we now refer to as “The Green Book.” This detailed development plan is the comprehensive guiding vision for Stapleton, and it will remain so throughout the buildout of the community over the next 20 years.

To bring the vision of Stapleton to life, the City of Denver selected Forest City Enterprises as partner and master developer in 1998. And the rest is history – in the making.

The real beauty of this plan begins, as most do, with location. Stapleton happens to be conveniently connected to everything: downtown Denver, Denver International Airport, the Anschutz-Fitzsimons Medical Campus, I-70 and the Rocky Mountains, Boulder... Look at a map and you can see how strategically positioned and thoroughly connected Stapleton is – one of the benefits of being on the site of a former major airport.

Stapleton’s inspiration comes from Denver’s historic neighborhoods. In fact, the plan envisions Stapleton as Denver’s next great neighborhood. It extends Denver’s historic street pattern as well as its celebrated parks and open spaces. The result is a continuation of Denver’s rich urban fabric with trails and greenways linking homes, shops, schools and businesses in one diverse, walkable experience.

In fact, everything you need is just a short walk or bike ride away in Stapleton. Not a new idea, but a really good one. This is a community that’s people-focused rather than car-focused, much like what you find in small towns and urban boroughs throughout the world. Stapleton has become a refreshing alternative to the suburban model … a place where all kinds of homes and all kinds of people exist happily, synergistically, together.  

Here, you’ll find homes with welcoming front porches. Tree lawns that keep pedestrians at a comfortable distance from the street. Garages tucked away into alleys. Plus grand parkways, authentic architecture, public art, summer concerts and markets … and other things designed to please the eye and nourish the spirit.  

Some call it Traditional Neighborhood Development or New Urbanism. But Stapleton is really in a category all its own.
The cumulative effect of all this careful planning is sustainability. A fancy word for lasting value. Another effect is something that’s hard to put into words. The feeling you get when you like something but you don’t know exactly why. It just feels right. Better.

But maybe, when all is said and done, the most beautiful part of the Stapleton plan is the part that isn’t there – the part that opens the door for something wonderful and spontaneous to happen. Like when residents and businesses take ownership and put their individual stamp on it. And that is precisely what is happening at Stapleton. Something greater than anyone could ever plan.