Highlands´ Garden Village is another project of New Urbanism in Denver. Compared with Belmar, it is quite different and as a European, I would prefer to live in this complex if I would have to choose between these two retrofits. This project reminds me more of the European style of living. I also prefer it because the whole complex is of smaller size when compared with Belmar.
Highlands offers a more peaceful environment with little playgrounds, small parks, and green spaces that show developer’s efforts to use every space for different purposes. We can observe people walking with their dogs or chatting in a gazebo, both characteristics of the old European style. The gazebo in particular brought back memories of my childhood. Almost every town in the Czech Republic has a gazebo in the city center. I remember spending a lot of time playing and talking in gazebos as a child, and hiding inside the gazebo during rain. This architectural building is a gathering place and a symbol of communication. The houses in Highlands’ Garden Village with their pastel colors also remind me of the Scandinavian style of building that I like so much.
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| Highlands' Garden Village playground. |
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| Pastel colors reminiscent of Scandinavia. |
Highlands’ Garden Village seems to be more appropriate for families and older people than Belmar, while I found Belmar to be great for younger residents. Highlands has more residential buildings with the appearance of real houses and condos than apartments. This helps to give the feeling of a more permanent community. The houses include balconies and porches to encourage interaction with neighbors. Gables stick out from the roofs with wood decorations. This is a significant feature that has appeared in many styles of folk architecture, not only in the Czech Republic, but also in other European countries.
Highlands’ Garden Village looks more like an “urban village” though and maybe is a little bit closer to the way of life of the previous style. When considering the goals of New Urbanism, the largest question here is if it is really affordable to live in Highlands’ Garden Village. There is not much housing diversity when compared with Belmar and after calling for one house that is for sale, the house, typical for the community, was listed for more than $500,000. I personally like this place more than Belmar because of the smaller place and better character, but the potential economic exclusivity of this complex interrupts the ideas of New Urbanism.
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| Half million dollar house. |
In Highlands’ Garden Village, garages are usually situated on the back side of the house off an alley. From the front of the street we see the house’s main entrance without access to garage. This appears to result in space savings, while also making the community more visually appealing. Instead of useless space with multiple driveways on a street, people can instead landscape their yards at the front of their houses. This green vegetation strengthens the visual impression of the community. In contrast, parking lots surround some of the apartment buildings at Belmar. The Highlands community garden is also a great feature. Living so close to the city, people may miss gardening and like landscaping and green space, this again brings nature into their lives and beautifies the community.
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| Community garden. |
Highlands appears to attract a greater mix of ages. A senior living house is situated just off the old carousel pavilion. This pavilion was a part of the Elitch Gardens Amusement Park from 1927 to 1994. I like that this construction is still conserved because this building is a place of social memory and a monument that will always remind people of the area's history. Unfortunately for the seniors who live close by, the pavilion lacks any benches and is instead filled with pigeon excrement. Still, the pavilion is an improvement over Belmar. The carousel pavilion and theatre at Highlands are dominant buildings in this community that call on its history. Street lamps at both also have an old appearance and serve to encourage nightlife and safety in the communities.
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| View from under the historic carousel. |
Compared to Belmar, Highlands’ Garden Village doesn´t offer much variation of stores, restaurants, or services. Without much space available, it’s unlikely that these will be developed in future, but the community does include a grocery store, fitness center, dentist, pizza take-away, and Starbucks. There are no restaurants in this residential complex, but people can easily walk to nearby Tennyson Street which offers a greater number of commercial stores and food places. With Tennyson Street’s offerings so close, I don´t see the lack of commercial stores in Highlands’ Garden Village as a problem. Maybe this is even a reason why I like Highlands more than Belmar.
I am not sure about future of Highlands’ Garden Village where there is not much space to build many stores or more residential units, but public transportation improvements can still add to the appeal of this complex.
