Design and Historic Landmarks commissions present State of the City Reports to City Council
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Source: Design and Historic Landmarks commissions present State of the City Reports to City Council ↗ Last modified: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:08:12 GMT
City Commissioner Dan Ryan remarked, “I kind of wish every City Council meeting had these kinds of conversations.”
Design Commission report
The Design Commission presented an overview of how Design Review has influenced the very fabric of our pedestrian-oriented City for the past 40 years: a walkable, vibrant, diverse and easily accessible Central City that is admired by the world for its planning and design innovation. Members of the Design Commission explained why now, more than ever, the application of Design Review’s three design tenets--Context, Public Realm, and Quality and Permanence--are critical to not losing our city’s livability for all who live, work and play here.
Design Commission Chair Brian McCarter led the presentation and highlighted several projects that received the Commission’s attention, including its project of the year, the 92 H Lents Project, a mixed-use housing and retail project. “It just does so many good things in terms of reinforcing the new emerging Lents Town Center and providing a really friendly pedestrian realm facing the neighborhood,” said McCarter.
In response a question from Mayor Ted Wheeler asking whether more housing in the downtown core is needed, McCarter replied, “Housing should be at the top of the pyramid.” Design Commissioner Sam Rodriguez added, “We need to make sure the ground-level designs are done really well, like in the Pearl, like in Slabtown, and that’s what Design Commission Review does best.”
City Commissioner Carmen Rubio said, “It’s clear that because of your expertise your work makes us better poised to continue our trajectory towards quality urban design . . . our Council is super aligned with you.” City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez noted that, “It was an enriching report.” Wheeler concluded with, “This is great work, to be continued. And I agree with what you already said, we still need to think about street-level activation.”