Foothills Underpass Study
Over three days in January 2018, four young residents of Boulder Housing Partners's Madison apartments, ages 10 to 13, participated in a Growing Up Boulder (GUB) workshop designed to elicit their ideas about where to locate and how to design a new underpass near the junction of Foothills Parkway and Colorado Avenue. The workshop was lead by Darcy Kitching, GUB Consultant.
The young people’s resulting ideas reflect the importance of community connections to Park East Park and the waterways flowing through the area, as well as the need for pedestrian safety in underpasses. The participants in this workshop unanimously preferred the city’ alignment option labeled “2B” because it maintains current park and pathway connections and because it appears to integrate the Wellman Ditch and Bear Canyon Creek waterways into the design, potentially allowing people to see and interact with water flowing next to the underpass. The youth expressed a desire for the underpass to provide a community asset for all ages, integrating art and outdoor activities, and improving the attractiveness of the area around the existing overpass.
The young people’s resulting ideas reflect the importance of community connections to Park East Park and the waterways flowing through the area, as well as the need for pedestrian safety in underpasses. The participants in this workshop unanimously preferred the city’ alignment option labeled “2B” because it maintains current park and pathway connections and because it appears to integrate the Wellman Ditch and Bear Canyon Creek waterways into the design, potentially allowing people to see and interact with water flowing next to the underpass. The youth expressed a desire for the underpass to provide a community asset for all ages, integrating art and outdoor activities, and improving the attractiveness of the area around the existing overpass.
