City of Glenwood Springs Comprehensive Plan Update

For the Southern Ute tribes and those that followed, Glenwood Springs has a sacred history as a place of community gathering and healing. Today it continues to be a cultural, recreational, and commercial hub where the Colorado River and the Roaring Fork Valley meet. A thriving community serving residents, workers, and thermal tub-soakers, Glenwood Springs’ mountain-town identity — as a recreational destination with relatively attainable living and working opportunities — is shifting as a recent uptick in development has limited housing and job offerings. Geography and topography further stress the mobility network as natural hazards routinely threaten community access and water resources.

The comprehensive plan update Cushing Terrell is currently completing aims to help local leaders and citizens understand the impacts of certain growth management approaches while laying out how policy changes might affect Glenwood Springs’ character. A careful look at innovative growth and urban design recommendations, including an examination of code and design guidance techniques, will enable the city to more seamlessly move into its expanded role as a home base for all who seek to live, play, and make a living amongst its bustling charm.