Vail Civic Area Consultation

Under GUB staff supervision, University of Colorado Denver, Masters of Urban and Regional Planning student, Ranae Rutherford, worked with Trestle Strategy Group to engage young people in Vail’s Civic Area Planning.  Ten acres in size, the Vail Civic Area Plan includes the following civic spaces: the Lionshead Parking and Transportation Center, Dobson Ice Arena, Vail Library, Charter Bus Area, and the Vail Municipal Building.  The Civic Area Plan will report potential impacts of redevelopment on adjacent properties, potential options to reduce or mitigate negative impacts, and the opportunity to improve the area by identifying how nearby properties may contribute positively to the plan.

Growing Up Boulder's Role in Vail Civic Area Consultation 

The GUB-Trestle team worked with youth leaders from the Eagle River Youth Coalition.  They began their engagement by discussing what civic areas need to thrive. Using an online polling application, students then analyzed the five civic area spaces to determine what they liked and didn’t like.  Following this exercise, youth leaders provided recommendations about improving each space, as well as overall recommendations for the Civic Area.

​Facilitators and youth leaders also discussed youth focus areas for the 2018-2019 year (substance abuse, mental health, diversity/acceptance, and the environment), and the ways that the Vail Civic Area Plan could potentially be a partner in addressing them.

​​​The primary themes that emerged from the youth engagement were: affordability, access, increased types of use for Dobson Ice Arena, varied methods of transportation, and pride in local culture (skiing, outdoors, nature, nightlife, and physical activity).  Youth discussed shared values of those who love Vail, and how those common values can be used to design and create spaces representative of a variety of people, visitors and locals alike.  ​