By Scott Babcock
Last March, I was fortunate enough to attend a conference on land use planning hosted by the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute (RMLUI) at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law. The annual RMLUI conference promotes constructive dialogue and cooperation in formulating creative solutions to pressing land use problems. In listening to some of the country’s leading academics, planners, lawyers, and government officials involved in land use planning, I was encouraged to hear several pieces of info that I thought were worthy of sharing with Mayfair residents. Among the many presentations and discussions was one about recent trends in residential development.
Were you aware that long-term trends indicate that more and more people are staying away from the suburbs and moving closer to the city, especially to communities with attractive features like Mayfair? More and more people are choosing older, established neighborhoods over the ‘burbs because of factors like:
1) long-range increases in gas prices;
2) the desire for shorter commuting trips (and spending more time with family);
3) the desire to live in more “walkable” communities that are close to mass transit and a variety of commercial establishments; and
4) the increasing realization that giant homes on small lots have many downfalls of their own (I’ll refrain from listing all of them here).
Future planned developments are already trying to account for some of these factors. For this reason, we are likely to see more and more residential developments in line with modern-day Stapleton, Lowry, and other neighborhoods that offer more than just traditional cul-de-sac living miles from the closest store.
Another interesting finding is that many suburban areas in Colorado and around the country have also suffered higher numbers of foreclosures and higher percentage decreases in home values during the recent economic downturn. Conversely, declines in home values and foreclosures in neighborhoods like Mayfair have remained comparatively lower.
Mayfair is poised to become an even more desirable neighborhood in the future. Whenever the economy manages to turn itself around, East Colfax has been rezoned and is ready for investment in new, “pedestrian friendly” development, providing even more commercial amenities for Mayfair residents. Similarly, the redevelopment of the University Hospital area will add even more commercial business attractions. In the long run, East Colfax also remains a viable route for improved mass transit options (possibly even a trolley line). These factors and others ensure that communities like Mayfair will continue to offer a high quality of life for its residents and remain a popular alternative for families seeking a more economical, sustainable lifestyle.
