Welcome to CAP

Ignite Evolution- walk through

Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to our mission to ignite evolution that enriches places for people and the planet.

We respect and value the unique experiences, traditions, and perspectives of each person, profession, community, and place.

Through our curricular and co-curricular activities, we tap into the inherent gifts of each one, and thereby build upon their respective strengths, nesting critical thinking inside appreciative thinking. Respect is the bedrock and foundation for ENGAGE and EVOLVE (#2 and #3 below).

The global is here. One hundred and forty-five languages are spoken in the local school district and 7% of CU Denver students arrive directly from other countries. Recognizing this range of cultural diversity, we benefit from a rich global perspective and experience right here, while also fanning out to the region and the world through community-based learning and research, learning abroad, and living across the globe.

We shift the language from “diversity,” which categorizes people into groups and generates divisions among them (as well as stereotypes and tokenism) to “inclusion,” which regards each person as different from others while also part of a shared humanity. “Diversity” can lead to divisiveness as well as (ironically) homogenization, while inclusion brings us together in a way that honors, celebrates, and benefits from our unique gifts.

We learn through doing and co-creating with our classmates, colleagues, and the larger community.

CU Denver is an intellectual, creative, social, and economic hub in one of the most rapidly growing urban centers of the US. By thoroughly embedding our activities – teaching, research, and service – into the larger community, responsively as well as proactively, we strengthen all of these activities while contributing to improving the life quality, environmental sustainability, and economic vitality of the region. Lessons learned can then be applied beyond the region, having a global impact.

To best achieve this, students engage in experiential learning (how we teach: learning by doing), offering hands-on experience and leadership opportunities - on campus, in the community, in other regions of the US, and abroad – and benefit from coordinated/integrated curricula (what we teach).

Tell me and I forget.

Show me and I may remember.

Involve me and I understand.

Through hands-on and collaborative learning, students develop empathy along with relationship-building skills. Combining these with recognizing and valuing the inherent gifts of each person (#1), including ourselves, cultivates “practical wisdom” (or phronesis).

We ignite evolution that enriches places for people and the planet.

Through transmitting knowledge and skills while supporting the growth and development of each person and our various disciplines and professions (through RESPECT and ENGAGE), CAP fuels innovation that contributes to the evolution of our civilization and the places we reside.

In sum, we prepare students to become professionals who, well-grounded in their respective areas of expertise, can work effectively with others to improve a rapidly changing world. Their innovations become part of the expertise of the future, upon which others will add new innovations. And the upward spiral continues.

About CAP

The College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at the University of Colorado Denver is the only college in Colorado offering comprehensive programs in the design and planning of the built environment from undergraduate through accredited professional master's degrees to a doctorate.

We take an interdisciplinary approach to design. This can be seen and experienced through our curriculum, minor and dual degree offerings, certificate programs, and the projects and research of our faculty and students each semester.

We are located in the heart of Downtown Denver. This allows us to be fully immersed in our city's design and planning activities and connects us with some of the top firms in the country. We also embrace the beauty, resources, and outdoor experiences that Colorado, the Front Range communities, and the Rocky Mountains offer.

Departmental Missions

Architecture

We foster the capacity to ask bold questions, take risks, think independently, and approach the work of architecture with curiosity.

Urban and Regional Planning

Our mission is to be a national leader in educating skilled, engaged planners and creating vibrant, sustainable communities.

Landscape Architecture

We create health, well-being, and environmental resilience through holistic design in the public realm.

Studio Snapshot

Fall 2023

Planning Project Studio: Redevelopment of the Denver Central Crescent

Planning Project Studio students Corinne Anderson, Ben Moore, Jason Schaefer, Elizabeth James, and Halden Schnal collaborate on a vision framework for the South Platte River in Denver.

Working in collaboration with the international planning and design consulting firm HDR, the Fall 2023 Planning Project Studio, led by Assistant Professor Ken Schroeppel , is actively engaged in formulating a vision framework for a designated area along the South Platte River in Denver. Punctuated by a string of transformational redevelopment projects like River Mile, Ball Arena, Auraria Campus, Sun Valley, and many others, this region has been coined the Denver Central Crescent by HDR. The studio's primary objective is to foster alignment and cohesiveness among these ongoing projects and any future development potential in this important section of the city.

In pursuit of this goal, students have undertaken a multifaceted approach by reviewing existing plans, researching historical landmarks, proposing policy recommendations, orchestrating charrettes, and employing advanced mapping techniques. The aim is to identify and recommend holistic strategies for the City and County of Denver to effectively manage and plan for this unique opportunity within the urban landscape. Throughout the semester, the students have extensively researched the City's Large Development Review process, the history of the South Platte in Denver, master plans for the redevelopment projects, and future land use planning outlined in Blueprint Denver, among other crucial elements. This will culminate in a comprehensive presentation to HDR, encapsulating the information in a strategic framework the City can leverage for optimal development and planning.

Contact Us

1250 14th Street, Suite 2000
Denver CO 80202
Phone: 303-315-1000
FAX: 303-315-1050
Email: CAP@ucdenver.edu

College of Architecture and Planning

CU Denver

CU Denver Building

1250 14th Street

2000

Denver, CO 80202

303-315-1000

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Alert: Plaza Building Is Closed

The Plaza Building will be closed through at least Dec. 6 because of a water line break and expected repairs. The Health Center, located in the building, will only offer Telehealth until further notice. Please check the Auraria Campus website for updates.

Learn More

College of Architecture and Planning

Welcome to CAP

About CAP

Departmental Missions

Architecture

Urban and Regional Planning

Landscape Architecture

Studio Snapshot

Contact Us

College of Architecture and Planning

Welcome to CAP

Respect

Engage

Evolve

About CAP

Departmental Missions

Architecture

Urban and Regional Planning

Landscape Architecture

Studio Snapshot

Contact Us

College of Architecture and Planning