Overview

The West Denver Renaissance Collaborative (WDRC) is a collective impact organization integrating the efforts of community members, public agencies, non-profits, and foundations working to create and implement a model for resilient urban regeneration in West Denver.  

The WDRC ‘footprint’ is made up of 6,400 acres, 65,000 residents, 24,000 households, 3 city council districts, and 9 neighborhoods: Athmar Park, Barnum, Barnum West, La Alma/Lincoln Park, Sun Valley, Valverde, Villa Park, West Colfax, and Westwood.

WDRC is funded by the Denver Housing Authority, the City and County of Denver, Enterprise Community Partners,  and The Denver Foundation.
Cities have the capability of providing something for everbody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.

― Jane Jacobs,
​The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Mission

The mission of the West Denver Renaissance Collaborative (WDRC) is to facilitate the revitalization of West Denver in an equitable fashion by improving the livelihood of existing residents and working to preserve and amplify the rich multicultural character.
The WDRC objectives are to:
  • Grow local capacity, expertise and leadership
  • Leverage existing assets and the work of local partners and leaders
  • Identify integration strategies, investments and projects that
    • address the top community priorities and needs of West Denver
    • scale across neighborhoods and cross sectors
  • Support upward mobility in place
  • Increase social durability (the economic, social, educational, political and cultural threads that positively reinforce residents' connections to their home, neighborhood and community)
  • Model inclusiveness and an approach that integrates culture, art, natural resources and food in sustaining a strong and healthy community​

Approach

​The West Denver Renaissance Collaborative was launched in 2016 based on the need for community-driven efforts to address the most pressing issues in West Denver. All WDRC efforts are conceived and approached using a thorough community engagement process.

Engaging directly with the West Denver neighborhood members is the only way we could understand the issues most important to the community and the work currently led by numerous local partners in West Denver. This organization was formed to empower community leaders to organize and deliver community-driven solutions to address the most pressing issues in West Denver today.

The WDRC approach is a district-focused effort to discover, collaborate, strategize, align, scale, integrate, evaluate, and advocate on behalf of West Denver. All WDRC community outreach, strategies, and implementation is pursued collaboratively with local community members and initiative partners.

The West Denver Renaissance Collaborative work plan is driven by top community priorities: housing & minimizing displacement, safer pedestrian connections, leader support & advocacy, partnering with business districts.