Agenda Date: 11/09/2026
Subject:
Title
Blueprint Boulevard Milestone Presentation No. 1
Body
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Prepared by: |
Zareen Tasneem, Senior Planner |
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Sara Dusenberry, Senior Planner |
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Presentations: |
Zareen Tasneem, Senior Planner |
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Sara Dusenberry, Senior Planner |
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Sarah Bartosh, Dig Studio |
PURPOSE:
To provide an update on the Littleton Boulevard Subarea Plan, now known as Blueprint Boulevard, planning process and discuss the recommended project vision statement, guiding principles, and goals.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Vibrant Community with a Rich Culture; Sustainable Community with Natural Beauty; Robust and Resilient Economy; Safe Community
DISCUSSION:
In September 2025, City Council approved a professional services agreement with Dig Studio to assist City staff in developing Blueprint Boulevard. In partnership with the community, the project team is shaping shared vision and recommendations that preserve the corridor’s historic character, support local businesses, improve multimodal safety and accessibility, strengthen ecological sustainability and resilience, and create welcoming places to live, work, and visit. The planning process consists of three phases:
1. Listening and learning
2. Principles and goals
3. Recommendations
Over the past several months, the project team has gathered input through open houses, surveys, pop-up events, and community conversations. Using what we heard, along with recommendations from existing City plans, we have drafted community values, a project vision, and four guiding principles, with goals for each. Now we want to know: Did we get it right? What would you add, edit, or clarify?
BACKGROUND:
Littleton Boulevard nicknamed the “Mid-Mod Mile,” for the unique mid-century modern architecture that can be found in both commercial and residential buildings along the corridor, has long been a priority for the City of Littleton. As the region and Littleton continue to grow and develop, there is increasing pressure on the historic attributes of the city that require careful consideration for preservation. This corridor has also been identified as a priority for economic development opportunities, increased housing density, and enhanced multimodal amenities. As a key gateway to the city, this subarea plan has been identified as a key strategy to investigate these opportunities and to establish a vision for the corridor.
Plan’s Purpose and Focus Areas
To address the current pressures and opportunities along Littleton Boulevard, the subarea plan seeks to serve as a guiding document for long-term corridor improvements and will focus on land use, historic preservation, economic development, housing, transportation and mobility, and streetscapes and green infrastructure.
To achieve this, the project team has set for themselves the following overarching project team goals:
1. Root Blueprint Boulevard in community voices and priorities.
2. Align plan with the broader vision for Littleton.
3. Create an integrated, cohesive framework.
4. Ground recommendations in the realities of the corridor.
Planning Process
A project framework was developed to explain the phasing and how each component of the planning process ultimately leads to the final plan and recommendations. Additionally, this framework and all planning related activities are rooted in the project team goals. The framework is divided into three phases with the following outcomes:
1. Community Values and Project Vision
2. Guiding Principles and Goals
3. Recommendations and Action Items
To date, the project team completed phases one and two, resulting in a draft vision, values, guiding principles, and goals. Development of these components is based on previous planning efforts, existing conditions analysis, and extensive public engagement. Iteration is key to much of this process with the public and stakeholders seeing each item multiple times.
Phase One
Phase one focused on developing community values and an overarching project vision. Community values are the core beliefs that the community cares about being reflected in their city. In the planning process, the values act as a guidepost that is reflected in all components of the plan. Engagement for the plan kicked off in April 2026 with the first community open house and online survey. From these activities, the initial list of community values was developed.
This initial list was refined through conversation with the Stakeholder Working Group (SWG), which is comprised of members of City Council and city boards and commissions, as well as residents, businesses, and organizations in the study area. The refined list was then taken back out to the public via pop up events, the June and July Meet, Greet, and Eats, and an online survey. The final draft of the community values was developed during an urban design charette with City Council and the SWG and presented to the public at the second community open house.
Proposed Community Values:
1. Safety
2. Comfort
3. Connection
4. Vibrancy
5. People-First
6. Cool and Green
7. Supportive of the Local Economy
8. Context Sensitive
The engagement and information gathered in phase one was also utilized to develop a project vision. The vision is a statement that defines the big dream for Blueprint Boulevard. Input from the phase one engagement efforts were utilized to draft a statement during the urban design charette. The draft statement was reviewed with the SWG and then included for public comment in the second community open house and third project survey.
Proposed Project Vision:
Littleton Boulevard and the surrounding neighborhoods will be a place that celebrates its past, leverages its strengths, and invests in a healthy future.
The table below outlines the various public engagement opportunities that took place primarily in phase one. Surveys one and two were designed to mirror the open house and pop up events to provide respondents with a virtual opportunity to provide feedback on the same information.
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Phase One Community Engagement |
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Event |
Touchpoints |
Impact |
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Community Open House #1 |
75+ |
Initial list of community values |
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Survey #1 |
461 responses |
Initial list of community values |
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Pop Up Event: Buck Recreation Center |
10+ |
First refined draft of community values Informed project vision |
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Pop Up Event: Bemis Public Library |
15+ |
First refined draft of community values Informed project vision |
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June Meet, Greet, and Eat |
20+ |
First refined draft of community values Informed project vision |
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July Meet, Greet, and Eat |
25+ |
First refined draft of community values Informed project vision |
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Survey #2 |
428 responses |
First refined draft of community values Informed project vision |
During phase one of the project, a planning integration report and existing conditions databook (attached) was developed. The planning integration report looked at existing plans completed by the city and in the region to understand existing planning efforts to ensure alignment and understand impact. This analysis was also used to understand community values that were identified in previous plans and helped develop the initial list of community values. The existing conditions analysis looked at a variety of topics to create a holistic understanding of the study area as it stands today. This analysis set a baseline understanding of the study area and helped identify areas for potential reinvestment and improvement, i.e. “an opportunity map.” The databook provided analysis, findings, and key takeaways related to:
• Site History
• Planning Integration
• Economic Development and Housing
• Housing Affordability
• Land Use, Zoning, and Built Form
• Historic Preservation
• Transportation and Mobility
• Parks, Open Space, Trails and Green Infrastructure
• Streetscape
Phase Two
Phase two was kicked off with the urban design charette, an intense period of design or planning activity. More than 20 attendees participated, including members of the Blueprint Boulevard Stakeholder Working Group, members of Littleton City Council, and the Blueprint Boulevard project team. The charette focused on major elements of the planning effort, including housing, historic preservation, economic development, the public realm, and mobility.
Participants also collaborated on a draft vision statement for Blueprint Boulevard: “Littleton Boulevard and the surrounding neighborhoods should be a comfortable, people-first place, that sparks exciting destinations with safe connections, while preserving historic character and local communities.” The findings represented the first effort by the project team to synthesize feedback received up to that date to refine community values and draft principles, goals, and an opportunity map.
The draft principles were then taken back out to the public via the August and September Meet, Greet, and Eats and stakeholder listening sessions. Stakeholder listening sessions were targeted conversations with populations in the study area the project team felt were missing from the community engagement responses up to that point and important to include. All this feedback cumulated in presenting the project’s proposed vision, values, principles, and goals at the second community open house, initially previewed to the stakeholder working group.
Proposed principles and goals:
1. Create a safe and connected environment
a. Complete a connected, convenient, and comfortable multi-modal network.
b. Enhance safety for all modes of transportation and access at key intersections.
c. Improve regional connectivity to the greater Denver Metro Area.
d. Prioritize local public transit infrastructure.
2. Honor historic and community assets
a. Support and strengthen community anchors that contribute to Littleton Boulevard’s identity and sense of place.
b. Highlight existing community narratives through community-led collaborations.
c. Protect and strengthen Littleton Boulevard’s distinctive historic character.
3. Support a resilient and adaptable future
a. Create a healthy and resilient urban tree canopy.
b. Increase access to high-quality parks, open spaces, and urban plazas.
c. Enhance connections to existing, regional trail systems.
d. Create resilient and sustainable stormwater systems.
4. Shape growth around community needs
a. Support local businesses and small-scale economic activity.
b. Direct growth at appropriate locations and scale.
c. Provide diverse and attainable housing options.
d. Create flexible and adaptable streets and public spaces.
e. Encourage diverse development that contributes to increased economic activity.
The table below outlines the various public engagement opportunities that took place primarily in phase two. Surveys three (currently in progress) was designed to mirror the second open house to provide respondents with a virtual opportunity to provide feedback on the same information.
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Phase Two Community Engagement |
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Event |
Touchpoints |
Impact |
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Urban Design Charette |
20+ |
Draft project vision, community values, principles, and goals Draft opportunity map |
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August Meet, Greet, and Eat |
25+ |
Draft principles and goals |
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September Meet, Greet, and Eat |
25+ |
Draft principles and goals Draft opportunity map |
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Stakeholder Listening Sessions: Epic High School Students |
50 |
Draft principles and goals Draft opportunity map |
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Stakeholder Listening Sessions: Colorado Center for the Blind |
20+ |
Draft principles and goals Draft opportunity map |
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Stakeholder Listening Sessions: North Littleton Promise |
20+ |
Draft principles and goals Draft opportunity map |
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Stakeholder Listening Sessions: Business Community Survey |
50+ |
Draft principles and goals Draft opportunity map |
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Community Open House #2 |
70 |
Refined draft of community values, principles, and goals Refined opportunity map |
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Survey #3 |
Currently in progress |
Refined draft of community values, principles, and goals Refined opportunity map |
In addition to the community engagement and touchpoints highlighted so far, the project was also promoted using the follow methods:
• 5100+ postcards mailed to addresses within half-mile radius of study area, as well as the team dropping off flyers at businesses along the corridor for each open house.
• A project-specific email list generated from people signing up to be notified about the project (approx. 500 emails).
• Project-related articles in all five editions of the Littleton Report print edition this year (circulation is about 22,500).
• Project-related articles in 11 editions of the Littleton Links newsletter this year (5,500+ subscribers).
• Numerous posts across all City of Littleton social media platforms.
Next Steps
Over the next year, the project will focus on the last phase of the project, recommendations. The project team anticipates returning with a Milestone Presentation #2 update, which will bring forth draft recommendations, in late spring 2027. Then, we will work on refining the recommendations and bringing Milestone Presentation #3 (draft final plan) in summer 2027. Staff anticipates presenting the final plan to City Council for adoption in October 2027.
Prior Actions or Discussions
• 2024 City Council retreat identified the Littleton Boulevard study as a 2-3-year priority initiative; formalized as part of Horizon 2027 Strategic Plan.
• Spring 2024 Historical Preservation Commission and Planning Commission provided insight regarding the scope of the proposed Littleton Boulevard Subarea Plan.
• May 28, 2024 - City Council study session discussion on proposed subarea plan scope and budget to advertise for RFP of consultant services.
• July 22, 2025 - City Council study session discussion on finalized proposed scope and approach to the Littleton Boulevard Subarea Plan
• September 16, 2025 - City Council approves contract for Dig Studio to provide planning services to assist City staff on the Littleton Boulevard Subarea Plan, now known as Blueprint Boulevard.
• May13, 2026 - City Council Walking Tour of study area
• July 27-29, 2026 - Urban Design Charette with City Council, Stakeholder Working Group, and City Manager’s Office
• Summer 2026 -Project updates at Planning Commission, Historical Preservation Commission, and Transportation and Mobility Board meetings
FISCAL IMPACTS:
A consultant team was procured to assist City staff in conducting this long-range planning project.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
N/A
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A