FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2, 2002	CONTACTS: ANDREW HUDSON (720)865-9016
STAPLETON DEVELOPMENT WINS MAJOR INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
DENVER - The Stapleton Redevelopment Project was awarded the prestigious Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities Award the City of Denver learned this afternoon. Deputy Denver Mayor Stephanie Foote and Mayoral Chief of Staff Wayne Cauthen accepted the award on behalf of the City by His Majesty the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony this evening, Stockholm time. More than 250 entries from over 50 countries throughout the world submitted sustainability projects to the SPSC for consideration. City officials presented the Sustainable Stapleton project to a world-wide forum at the Stockholm Conference this week. Fourteen awards were presented to Cities in different categories representing innovative solutions for sustainable development in metropolitan areas from thirteen countries around the world. "We are tremendously proud to have been honored by this international forum on sustainability," Mayor Webb said. "This forum and the subsequent award has provided our City the opportunity to highlight Denver and this project to a global audience. This project is now recognized as a model project for responsible sustainable development everywhere." According to various jury comments about the Stapleton re-development project: * "For once we have not produced a horrible urban model -- and just because you can sprawl doesn't mean you should. The fact is we can no longer sprawl, and here is an infill model that breaks at least our pattern and has lots to offer the world." * "The Stapleton airport re-use project breaks the old pattern by demonstrating that sustainability is economically viable and contributes to the private sector bottom-line, while calling in to question 50 years of single land-use development and automobile dependent design." * "The special ingredients can be defined as: a large inner-city tract of land, surrounding neighborhoods struggling for viability, incompatibility of adjacent land uses (residential and airport uses) and a partnership between community, government, the private sector, redevelopment authority and non profit organizations." * "Any city with a inner city core of large obsolete industrial infill site is probably a candidate for the lessons of Sustainable Stapleton" The Sustainable Stapleton Project was considered under the SPSC Ambassador Project/Private Partnership Cluster in recognition of the City's collaborative effort with the City's selected master developer, Forest City Enterprises as well as the City's unique citizen's partnership that has helped to guide the development's principles and vision. In addition, the Stapleton Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities, the non-profit arm of the project, was highlighted in the City's nomination in recognition of its efforts to encourage sustainability projects as well as developing broader communication between the older surrounding neighborhoods and the new development. The redevelopment of the 4,700-acre Stapleton site is the largest infill redevelopment project in the nation and is the only former airport in America that is being redeveloped for non-aviation uses. About the City's nomination According to the city's project submittal, there were several reasons and objectives for Stapleton's qualifications to be considered in the SPSC awards program. Stapleton International Airport served as Denver's municipal airport from 1929 to 1995. In 1989, with the decision to move the airport to the present Denver International Airport site, the citizens of Denver began to plan the next use for the old airport site. Over the next six-years a community vision evolved calling for a new approach to development, a real world example of sustainable development of significant scale. The guiding principles for Stapleton are embodied in the Stapleton Development Plan more affectionately known as the Green Book. The result of hundreds of community meetings and thousands of volunteer hours, The Green Book describes the three legs, or goals, of sustainability that guide development at Stapleton: Economic Opportunity: Develop as a regional center for job creation in diverse fields with an emphasis on new technologies and emerging industries. Environmental Responsibility: Demonstrate the economic and community benefits of a long-term commitment to reducing consumption of natural resources and impacts on the natural environment. Social Equity: Provide broad access to social, cultural and economic opportunities for all segments of the community. These goals are being implemented in the first phase of development through the following actions: diversity of housing, an emphasis on the pedestrian and public transportation, energy efficiency, recycling, sustainable building materials, xeriscaping, water conservation, improved indoor air quality, and environmental clean up. Emerging over three decades on the Stapleton site will be a network of urban villages, employment centers and significant open spaces, all linked by a commitment to the protection of natural resources and the development of human resources. "Forest City is transforming Stapleton into pedestrian friendly urban neighborhoods where jobs and housing affordable to a range of incomes are complemented by more than 1,100 acres of new parks and open space," said John S. Lehigh, chief operating officer for Forest City Stapleton, Inc. "Working with Mayor Webb, the Denver City Council and the citizens of Denver, we will ensure that Stapleton will become a model of 'smart growth for communities across the nation and around the world." The entire nomination form can be accessed by linking to: http://www.partnerships.stockholm.se/new_tavlande_index.html About the SPCS According to SPCS, the vision of the Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities is to gather comprehensive knowledge and information on the most innovative and inspiring sustainability projects from all over the world in a grand exposure of urban solutions and to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and technology from these initiatives. The Stockholm Partnerships has as its mission to facilitate for those who represent national or local governments, industry, non-governmental organizations, academia, media, finance institutions, international organizations, etc. to share knowledge and experience in the field of applied technology and management. The event will highlight development projects in cities from all over the world that show innovative solutions for sustainable development in urban areas. Some may be based on policy, others on technology and yet others on proactive initiatives by communally based actors, but they will all have one thing in common: to demonstrate in practice that sustainable urban development is already possible. The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities will be an important event in linking history with the future. First of all, the actual date 5 June is the worldwide-recognized World Environment Day. This day was inaugurated at the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which took place in Stockholm. Thus, the Stockholm Partnerships event will commemorate the 30 years since the milestone conference that the United Nations organized in Stockholm. Another reason for taking stock of developments and looking into the future is the fact that Stockholm is celebrating its 750 anniversary as a proper city. Yet another reason to celebrate is that the plan of action also known as Agenda 21 was agreed upon exactly ten years prior to the dates of the Stockholm Partnerships. Additionally, a few months after the events in Stockholm later the World Summit on Sustainable Development, i.e. Rio+10, will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, which will be one of the conduits for showcasing the findings of the event in Stockholm.