The Bottom-Up Revolution How To Bring More Affordable Housing Options to Colorado
Oct 7, 2025
Mary Coddington, founder of Twelve Inc. and a member of the Denver Planning Board, discusses her mission to improve affordable housing in Colorado. She highlights local initiatives like Denver's Neighborhood Planning Initiative and addresses challenges such as language barriers and community engagement. Mary shares insights on balancing new housing with displacement prevention, drawing connections between resilient site design and permaculture principles. She also emphasizes the importance of local involvement and views current disruptions as an opportunity for building stronger communities.
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Neighborhood Planning In Denver
- Denver runs a Neighborhood Planning Initiative grouping 4–6 areas to update local visions and plans.
- Mary’s neighborhood pushed to get its turn because of new land opportunities and recent investment.
Include All Neighborhood Voices
- High local capacity helps but engagement must intentionally include non-English speakers and changing demographics.
- Mary emphasizes bringing all neighborhood voices into planning to avoid exclusion.
Unlocking Housing Choices With Care
- Denver's Unlocking Housing Choices targets exclusionary single-family zones to increase housing options.
- Mary warns to match regulatory change with tools that keep investment and residents local to prevent displacement.
