Engage and Empowering Our Community

Tami Door, President and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership serves as Chair of the International Downtown Association’s (IDA) Board of Directors. Tami offers her expertise in city building to members of IDA in her monthly News from the Top column.

Earlier this month, Fast Company published urbanist Brent Toderian’s list of “25 simple resolutions you can make to improve your city in 2019.” From supporting local arts and culture to advocating for trees, and from getting involved with community and advocacy groups to opening one’s eyes to the everyday beauty of our cities—Toderian’s list reminds us that we all have important roles to play in building our cities.

He reminds us that “your very presence and engagement adds life, vitality, and safety to a place, and helps them be more enjoyable for everyone.”

So how do we empower our community members—especially those not directly involved with our work already—to be present and engaged in our cities?

Here in Downtown Denver, we launched CityLive, a platform for our residents to engage with our citybuilding work on a variety of levels. The program gives our broader community an inside look into issues, policies and programs, and provides the opportunity to share feedback and meet city officials and leaders face-to-face. We’re helping our neighbors build a stronger relationship with our city which, in turn, helps us make it a better place.

Engaging with our communities is key as we develop policies and initiatives and address challenges and opportunities. As citybuilders, we know that when we engage more voices in our conversations, we are able to build more inclusive, sustainable cities. I encourage you to read Toderian’s list and as you do so, ask yourself how you can further engage your community in your work and your city this year.