Home Court Advantage

I’m a pretty committed Denver girl. I’m a born-and-raised, bona fide Native (that word carries some weight around these parts, hence the capital “n”). In the last few weeks, I’ve been incredibly proud to call this city home, due to the many super cool things Denver has done recently.

Denver B-cycle launched on Earth Day, and is the first effort of its size to occur in the US. John Carney, Orton’s Director of Rocky Mountain Projects, and I volunteered for the launch, spending several hours standing around in uncharacteristically awful weather, encouraging fellow downtown commuters to try the new and remarkably high-tech bikes. Each bike has a built in GPS unit so the folks at B-cycle can track usage, from miles ridden to actual routes that riders take.

We were also thrilled to learn about the Change Your City Denver initiative, which is a collaborative effort between the City of Denver and Ashoka’s Changemakers (make a mental note of that name; you’ll hear it again soon from the Orton world). Change Your City is a national initiative designed to build cities as hubs for social innovations. As it happens, Denver is the launch city for the initiative and will be the model for future cities to follow.

Another great feather in Denver’s cap is the complete overhaul of zoning codes. The existing 53-year-old codes were inefficient and unable to support the structural diversity in the city. The new code is “context-based,” meaning codes are guided by neighborhood types rather than building types; new buildings have to take on the same characteristics as the surrounding neighborhood, thus keeping the personality of the neighborhood intact. The public has been included and involved through every step of this process, and the new code is primping for its first reading by City Council on May 24.

These victories give us Denverites something to be proud of in spite of our recent departures from both the NHL and NBA playoff series.

Last weekend I checked out a new bar-b-que place with my roommate. Just as our pulled pork arrived, so did a dozen gentlemen in suits and ties. It turns out they were all attending a wedding nearby, and they had ducked out of the reception to watch the last quarter of the Cavaliers/Celtics game. Amidst the cacophony of cheering (these folks were die-hard Cavaliers fans), it became apparent that one of the fist-pumping, whooping fans was actually the groom. Amazingly, when someone else from the wedding peeked in from the patio and timidly said, “They want to cut the cake now—you guys need to come back,” the response was, “OK, yeah, we’ll be there in two minutes and 47 seconds.” You know the old saying, right? Hell hath no fury like a bride ditched for pro sports.

Denver’s community efforts have garnered a modest amount of success in the realms of public support and enthusiasm, but I’d venture a guess that no one would have snuck out of a wedding for them. It’s curious how much pride we have in our city’s athletic teams, especially compared to how relatively little we often have in the city itself. It seems possible that if we continue in this vein, sports may end up being the only way to take pride in our cities. But shouldn’t it be the other way around? I’d like to cheer on the Rockies this summer because they represent a city where I can ride a B-cycle to the field, pedaling through neighborhoods with character and charm and Change Your City promotions at all the bus stops.

Take the time to recognize what makes your town so great, and then carry that enthusiasm to the ball field. Go ahead, paint your entire torso and face the colors of your team, get out the bullhorn and the cowbell and scream until you’re hoarse—because your team represents that vibrant, exciting place you call home.

Photo: ©Frenkieb