We are committed to building an inclusive City.

As an organization

We have committed to:

• Diversity and Inclusivity responsibilities built into all job descriptions.

• Intentionally diversify our hiring practices.

• Implement three diversity training programs per year for team members

We recognize that the transformational work ahead of us will not happen overnight. Our long-term commitment falls into the following areas that will serve as the starting point for in-depth assessments of existing systems and continued commitment to ensure the value of inclusivity permeates our organization.

Listen, Learn and Lead: Colorado Companies United Against Racism Pledge

We proudly co-created and encouraged other organizations to join us in signing a pledge against racism, which includes actions and accountability measures focused on the key commitments to listen, learn and lead to address racial equity in the business community. This work is an ongoing commitment to change.

Now is the Time for Action | Take the CEO Pledge to Advance Racial Equality

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Speaker Series

We produce an annual speaker series to educate and engage the community in important conversations surrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The focus of these sessions is to understand the confluence of citybuilding and inclusivity – bringing the history of our city to the forefront in order to drive change. Over 900 individuals have attended this year.

The D&I Speaker Series brings our Members and our community opportunities to learn and be empowered to make change in our City & their respective organizations. In July, we launched the first installment of our Diversity & Inclusion Speaker Series with Jay Pitter. In October, we gathered experts on the history of our diverse neighborhoods, and in February, we’ll be joined by Tamika Butler, a nationally-recognized urbanist who will discuss rebuilding with equity. We have been flooded with positive feedback on this educational series. And, this series has even sparked plans to make real change in the public realm which we hope to have more info on soon.

Building the Team and Board of Directors

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment, hiring, and retention practices nurture and affirm all team members, especially those who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women, staff members with disabilities, and LGBTQ+. We commit to assessing and expanding on our current practices to increase the diversity at all levels of our team, as well as our Board of Directors. In 2020 we appointed a Diversity and Inclusion chair to our Board of Directors to help drive our work forward.

All Partnership employees share a responsibility for recognizing, creating and implementing plans to promote diversity and inclusion within their respective programs and initiatives. Where applicable, this includes involving external stakeholders to coordinate and promote the Partnership’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Downtown Denver Partnership views Diversity and Inclusion as a moral and economic imperative for building a great city.

The Downtown Area Plan (link here)

The Downtown Area Plan, the 20-year vison for Downtown, was developed with a cross-section of thousands of individuals. Diversity, equity and inclusion are emphasized throughout the economic, mobility, housing and public space goals. Creating a Diverse City is one of the five primary vision elements, including the creation of a Mosaic of Districts.