Governor Polis and America 150-250 Commission Unveil Design for Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway

Governor Polis and the America 150-250 Commission have unveiled the design for the Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway. Designed by Studio Gang, the international architecture and urban design firm led by Jeanne Gang, the 11,000 square foot pathway enhances connectivity and improves accessibility among downtown Denver’s major public spaces and monuments as well as offers a unique experience that brings together art, culture, and history in commemoration of Colorado’s 150th anniversary. The project is expected to complete in July 2026.

“I’m thrilled that Coloradans can now visualize this walkway and its amazing positive impact on our community. Now, when Coloradans of all ages come to visit our State Capitol, they can more easily access and enjoy Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park while enjoying and learning from art from local artists. This interactive experience will showcase Colorado’s history and look to our even stronger future. I want to thank Studio Gang for their work on this design, as well as all of the local artists who are going to make this walkway an important piece of public art for all to enjoy,” said Governor Jared Polis.

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to shape the future of downtown Denver with a new public space that will also serve as a civic and cultural monument,” said Jeanne Gang, Founding Partner of Studio Gang. “We designed the walkway to make this part of Civic Center more welcoming to pedestrians and to celebrate Colorado’s rich history and exciting next 150 years.”

The Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway connects the Colorado State Capitol and Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, offering a pedestrian-friendly and accessible route between these major civic spaces for the first time. The walkway is also part of the larger, ongoing revitalization of Denver’s Civic Center, a longstanding hub of social, political, and cultural activity. Anchoring the eastern end of Civic Center, the walkway builds on the site’s long history of disability rights advocacy to ensure people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities can enjoy and take part in Denver’s civic and cultural life.

Informed by the shifting geometries of Colorado’s rivers, the design features a flowing form that widens and narrows as it traverses Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park’s topography and guides people over Lincoln Street, a busy thoroughfare, and towards the Capitol, whose hilltop location has been historically difficult to access. Its curving geometry also echoes the park’s historic crescent-shaped paths. The use of regional materials like sandstone, marble, and granite pays tribute to Colorado’s geology. Through a range of features—including viewing platforms, sculptural monuments, newly commissioned artwork from Colorado artists, play elements, and different learning and storytelling opportunities—the design encourages people to explore and relax.

The walkway is organized in four zones that define different programs along the path. At the western entrance, which helps to revitalize an underutilized corner of Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, is Park Landing. Rising gently from the park, Park Landing circles new meadow plantings and a play area. Canopy Walk, the most elevated portion of the walkway, invites visitors to pause with integrated seating, artwork, and views to the Capitol and Denver’s mountains. On the east end, Capitol Landing meets a newly accessible plaza for gathering in front of the Capitol.

The design also limits the walkway’s environmental impact through several strategies. The geometry preserves existing trees by bending around them, while new meadow plantings introduce native floral and fauna to the park. Light-colored and durable materials, such as stone and weathering steel, help to reduce heat absorption and maintenance needs. The walkway is among the first projects to follow the Buy Clean Colorado Act, new State legislation establishing a maximum acceptable global warming potential (GWP) limit for certain materials.

The Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway represents a public-private partnership led by the Governor’s Office and the P3 Office at the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration alongside History Colorado. The project will serve as a new gateway to downtown Denver and will become a major part of ongoing initiatives to revitalize the Civic Center area, which include renovations to Denver Central Library, Denver Art Museum upgrades, the recently opened and Studio Gang-designed Populus hotel, the future 5280 Trail, the McNichols Building’s museum, and improvements to the Greek Theater and Central Promenade in Civic Center Park, which is also being designed by Studio Gang and is part of the Civic Center Next 100.