What are livable centers?
Livable centers are diverse types of central locations for different communities. They may often be called urban centers, employment centers, activity centers, multimodal centers, historic town centers, station areas, neighborhood centers, transit centers, activity centers, or centers and nodes. Livable centers do not refer to a formal designation in Metro Vision.
Program overview
The Livable Centers Small-Area Planning Program is DRCOG-led technical assistance funded through the fiscal years 2024-2027 Transportation Improvement Program. Small-area planning projects will identify ways to enhance and increase livability in connected multimodal centers. The program can fund a wide range of small-area plans and studies related to land use, housing and transportation within centers or nodes on the region’s multimodal transportation system. The goals of this program are derived from Metro Vision to:
- Increase housing and employment in connected centers.
- Support the investment in multimodal enhancements and transit access along corridors connecting centers.
- Promote investment and reinvestment in existing communities.
- Increase opportunities for diverse housing accessible by multimodal transportation.
- Improve access to and from the region’s developed and emerging housing and employment centers.
- Improve multimodal access to employment, commerce, educational, cultural and recreational opportunities for residents of all ages, incomes and abilities.
Program highlights
- Total funding: $2.5 million is identified as a set-aside in the 2024-2027 Transportation Improvement Program.
- Fully funded: Project sponsors are not required to provide local match. Projects will be fully funded using federal funding and state toll credits, thanks to a partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation.
- Collaboration and partnership: Project sponsors and DRCOG staff will partner to support community needs and goals.
Projects Scoping
DRCOG identified the following projects through the 2025 letter of interest process. Each project aligns with evaluation criteria approved by the Board of Directors and reflects Metro Vision goals. The Board approved the selection in April 2026 after receiving recommendations from the Transportation Advisory Committee and the Regional Transportation Committee:
- Jefferson County: The Southwest Plaza Activity Center Small Area Plan will guide the transformation of an auto-oriented commercial district experiencing circulation challenges and decline in some subareas into a connected, multimodal, mixed-use activity center. The plan will integrate mobility, land use, safety, and housing strategies to proactively address development pressures, while ensuring the economic feasibility of infrastructure investments.
- City of Longmont: The CO-119 study will assess the feasibility of extending safer, faster, and more reliable multimodal options that better serve current and future housing, employment, and recreational opportunities along the 119 corridor from Longmont’s western border going east to the new Mobility Hub at I-25. This segment is currently the “missing transit link” between the future Diagonal Flyer BRT and existing Bustang service at the Mobility Hub. This study will also address incomplete pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the corridor.
- City of Thornton: The N Line Station Area Master Plans Assessment project for the City of Thornton will examine existing station area master plans (or STAMPs), assessing their current conditions, continued relevance and alignment with community goals. Given that much of the land surrounding the N Line stations remains undeveloped, the project will also identify barriers to transit-oriented development and create an updated, feasible vision for each station area.
Projects underway
DRCOG identified the following projects through the 2024 letter of interest process. Each project aligns with evaluation criteria approved by the Board of Directors and reflects Metro Vision goals. The Board approved the selection in December 2024 after receiving recommendations from the Transportation Advisory Committee and the Regional Transportation Committee.
- Arapahoe County: The Florida Corridor Multimodal Improvements project will enhance transportation options along Florida Avenue in Denver, Aurora and unincorporated Arapahoe County. The study will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, strengthen connectivity, and increase access to transit hubs, parks, and commercial areas. The project will also address challenges across jurisdictions. DRCOG will coordinate the effort with the Florida Corridor Micromobility Hubs project, funded through the Innovative Mobility Set-Aside, which will identify potential micromobility hub locations along the Florida corridor and the Four Square Mile area.
- Boulder County: The Mobility Needs Assessment Framework for the Boulder County Housing Authority will develop a toolkit for evaluating multimodal transportation improvements to enhance connectivity and access to key destinations for residents of housing authority properties. The project will pilot the framework at the housing authority's properties to address current and future mobility needs.
- City of Arvada: The Livable Centers in Transit Oriented Communities project will conduct a land use, housing type diversity and needs assessment in Arvada's transit areas to enhance housing options and connectivity. The study will inform future planning strategies for diverse and affordable housing in key transit corridors and urban centers.
- City of Aurora: The Fitzsimons Innovative Transportation Solutions Study will assess current transportation conditions and explore strategies to enhance multimodal access to the Fitzsimons Urban Center, improving connectivity for residents, employees and visitors while reducing traffic congestion. The study intends to develop coordinated transportation and parking solutions to support the area's ongoing growth and ensure efficient use of land and infrastructure.
- City of Centennial: The East Midtown Centennial Small Area Plan will provide a framework for the evolution of the East Midtown area, guiding its development into a cohesive district with housing, commercial spaces and enhanced multimodal transportation options. The plan will address infrastructure needs, zoning updates and connectivity to envision a transit-oriented hub within the city.
- City of Edgewater: The Edgewater Livable Center project's intention is to enhance land use, housing and transportation strategies to improve livability and multimodal connections. The study's objective is increasing housing opportunities, addressing affordability, and improving pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access.
- City of Sheridan: The City of Sheridan Housing and Transportation Strategies Study will develop policies and strategies to enhance housing opportunities and transportation access, aligning with state requirements. This project's objective is increasing housing around transit corridors, addressing barriers to development, and promoting sustainable growth through infill and redevelopment.
Additional background
The Livable Centers Small-Area Planning Program is part of the DRCOG Board-adopted Transportation Improvement Program Set-Aside Programs for fiscal years 2024-2027, designed to help implement Metro Vision, the region’s long-range growth and development plan. The set-aside uses federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funding to provide technical assistance and small-area planning in communities across the region, with the goal of increasing livability, connectivity and multimodal accessibility in key centers and corridors.
Unlike traditional Surface Transportation Block Grant projects, which typically fund large-scale infrastructure, Livable Centers planning efforts involve smaller dollar amounts ($120,000-$300,000). Due to the significant administrative requirements and federal compliance burdens tied to the funding, many jurisdictions find the smaller planning awards difficult to administer and not cost-effective from a local agency perspective. As a result, many local governments have expressed pursuing these funds independently is not worth the effort.
To address the issue, the DRCOG Board authorized DRCOG staff to manage the program centrally. DRCOG holds the contract, procures consultant services and manages the intergovernmental agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation, helping to streamline the process, remove administrative barriers and ensure efficient use of federal dollars. The regional approach also eliminates local match requirements, as a result of DRCOG’s coordination with CDOT to apply state toll credits, making these projects fully funded for local partners. The centralized delivery model is also the standard approach across three other Board-adopted set-aside programs (including Transportation Corridor Planning, Community-Based Transportation Planning and Innovative Mobility).
The program is a strategic, Board-directed initiative to advance regional goals through an efficient, centralized delivery model for federal funds often inaccessible to many communities. By strategically managing the program, DRCOG enables transformational planning efforts to implement Metro Vision and expand the capacity of local government partners.
Additional resources
View pages 61-67 of the TIP Set-aside policies for more detail on eligible project types and eligible project locations.
Considering a smaller planning effort? Livable Centers projects are detailed small-area plans, studies or analyses developed over several months and include consultant procurement, with a recommended minimum project size of $120,000. For smaller or more targeted efforts, consider an Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel — a two-day engagement offering expert land use guidance. Learn more and apply.
Email Metro Vision to discuss a project idea or for additional information about the Livable Centers Set-Aside.