Westwood Via Verde

Access to the outdoors is a fundamental human need, and all communities are stronger, healthier, and more connected when everyone is able to get outside and engage with nature. But access to the outdoors isn’t equal. Denver’s Westwood neighborhood has the highest population of children in the city, but lags behind the rest of Denver in access to quality parks and green space.

Far too often, lower-income and communities of color have limited access to green space, or experience parks that are lower quality and less maintained. That’s why Trust for Public Land has partnered with Westwood residents, the City of Denver, the Cool Connected Westwood (CCW) coalition, and local community partners on an ambitious project to build a greener, more connected neighborhood through Westwood Via Verde.

Westwood Via Verde is a bold vision to create a 3-mile green network of trails, parks, schools, bikeways, improved sidewalks, and enhanced alleys. It’s a plan created with the community, for the community, and it embraces the cultural richness and diversity that make Westwood so special. With 78 percent of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latinx and 4 percent identifying as Asian American, the work along Westwood Via Verde reflects these vibrant cultures.

Via Verde will put parks and green spaces within a 10-minute walk of more than 45,000 residents, improving not only health outcomes by providing spaces to play, but also connectivity with safe pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. It will also provide strategic and innovative approaches to green infrastructure, like trees and rain gardens, for a community that has historically received little investment. It’s a bold vision with even bolder green spaces and will transform Westwood for generations to come.