Why do cities even have parking minimums?

Good morning, Colorado!

I was car-free for a few different eras of my life in Denver, and let me tell you that nothing makes you more aware of the ways autos are prioritized over people than counting the number of empty parking spaces you have to walk past to run an errand. But if you’ve never had to get around town without a car, your only concern about parking might be making sure there’s enough of it where you need to go.

That’s why I was so excited to read Brian Eason’s piece on parking minimums this morning. Parking policy may sound a little dry on the surface, but once you start digging into it, it’s easy to see just how influential it can be on everything from the price of housing to pollution to a city’s culture.

So let’s hit the road already, because we have that and so much more for you in today’s newsletter. Let’s ride!

Eric Lubbers

CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE NEWS

HOUSING

Developers in the U.S. are forced to build parking no one uses. In Colorado, that’s starting to change.

Every empty parking spot has costs that go well beyond its construction and upkeep. It contributes to the heat island effect, encourages driving for short errands and makes new housing units more expensive to build in the middle of a housing crisis. So why do so many cities require that new construction come with more parking than they could ever use? Brian Eason breaks down the world of parking minimums and how, at the state and local levels, Colorado is pushing the envelope on rethinking parking.

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ELECTION 2024

Coloradans from every political party, age group and region want politicians to do something about the cost of living

#Go out to eat, in this economy?
Go to a concert, in this economy?
Get a Christmas tree, in this economy?#

Within the submissions to the Voter Voices survey of more than 4,500 Coloradans (which you can still participate in here), the cost of living was the most important issue for voters ages 18 to 29 and conservative voters in rural regions — and a close second in other demographics. Parker Yamasaki breaks down the results and looks at the specific issues voters want politicians to address.

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• Nearly $300K from group with hidden donors pours into Colorado legislative primary in Democratic district. A group called Representation Matters has spent $271,000 thus far on mailers, digital ads and canvassing to help Aurora attorney Idris Keith in his Senate District 28 race against state Rep. Mike Weissman. Keith has the backing of business groups, while Weissman is endorsed by a slate of his Democratic colleagues in the legislature, as well as union, environmental and progressive groups. 

ECONOMY

Why Colorado could start attracting more filmmakers

Can House Bill 1358 bring back the filmmaking boom Colorado experienced in the 1980s? Parker Yamasaki and Tamara Chuang look at the expanded tax incentives and the state of the local film industry in this week’s “What’s Working” column.

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HEALTH

Sharing the smallest of hearts: A Colorado girl lives because of another family’s loss

The new heart that saved 5-year-old Willow Sanford’s life in August was just one of more than 500 stories of tragedy transformed into new life thanks to the Children’s Hospital Colorado transplant program. Jennifer Brown reports on the growth of the program — becoming one of the largest in the country — and the tricky line between grief and hope the doctors, patients and families have to walk.

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• Pro skier Drew Petersen’s “Feel It All” explores high country mental health.  Drew Petersen, of Summit County, was the image of athletic success, but has struggled with suicidal thoughts since he was 9.
• Is Pfizer working on a vaccine for the bird flu? In the past 2½ years, at least 29 people contracted the bird flu in nine counties around the country. The Colorado Sun partners with Gigafact to investigate viral claims.
• A third elk stomping in two weeks in Estes Park calls for unprecedented warnings. Wildlife officials say a string of incidents at the gateway of Rocky Mountain National Park means humans must take extra caution.

COLORADO SUNDAY

A car crash devastated a Colorado farming family. Amputation turned it around.

Two years ago, Heidi Rowher was seriously injured in a car crash that killed her mother while driving vegetables and plants to sell at the Durango Farmers Market with her family. Through a complicated recovery and many setbacks, she wondered if she could ever get back to harvesting produce on the farm again and return to her job as an EMT at the all-volunteer Pleasant View Fire Protection District. A glimmer of hope came when she decided this year to get her right leg amputated below the knee. Sue McMillin has the full story in this week’s Colorado Sunday.

READ MORE

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Southeastern Colorado farmers hope for better growing season after recent rains. A winter wheat and sorghum farmer in Eads said she finally planted June 6 after her farm got three inches of rain
  — Successful Farming
• Denver residents throw wedding for LGBTQ migrants from Venezuela. After leaving Venezuela, where they were not openly accepted as a gay couple, Amarilis and Mariangy Delgado Gutierrez tied the knot at Sloan’s Lake Park.
  — Westword
• Doctors are working on a test to predict if a baby will develop food allergies. Colorado researchers found a way to detect whether babies will develop food allergies that could help develop treatments to head off the allergies as the baby grows up.
  — Colorado Public Radio
• Denver Art Museum dogged by accusations it’s not open to returning pieces from its collection. Representatives from multiple Native American tribes say the Denver Art Museum has not been amenable to returning pieces in its collection. Museum officials argue otherwise.
  — The Denver Post 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Olivia Prentzel | Reporter

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• Survey shows most Coloradans want political extremism to end. I’m one of them.  Voters are ready for politicians to stop bickering and get back to work. Will candidates meet the need?
  — Trish Zornio

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end! You’re our favorite kind of reader (and we mean that). See you right back here tomorrow!

— Eric and the whole staff of The Sun

The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.

Corrections & Clarifications

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