Green Space Rate Study: Denver, Colorado
Location:
Denver
Client:
City and County of Denver
Project Lead:
Arland Land Use Economics
Project Type:
Public Finance
The Project:
Through a ballot initiative, City and County of Denver residents voted in a mandate requiring green roofs on buildings that meet a certain size threshold. The City’s Department of Public Health and Environment was tasked with working with a stakeholder group of business leaders and environmentalists and others to develop an ordinance that would meet the intent of the initiative and yet make it workable for developers and property owners. The ordinance also allowed some additional options for developers and property owners to meet the intent of the requirement.
Our Role:
ArLand worked with the City’s Department of Public Health and Environment on a rate study for the City’s Green Roof ordinance as an option for owners who are unable to meet the requirement. The rate study was based on the cost for the City to provide an equivalent service (either equivalent green roof or green space). The opt-out provision and the rate became part of the ordinance in 2018.
