Research & Special Projects
RMLUI, engaging DU Student Research Associates and interns, partners with community-based organizations, land use professionals, and academic scholars to conduct research and provide thought leadership related to land use law and policy, while allowing students the opportunity to participate in the Institute's meaningful research and special projects. Through the Institute Partners program, offered in conjunction with Sturm's Legal Externship program, RMLUI's Research Associates work closely with the region's top law and planning firms. In addition, RMLUI has partnerships with a growing number of community and governmental organizations.
Choose an item from the list below for more information on RMLUI's research and special projects.
Ideas RoundUP
An RMLUI discussion series aiming to address issues of land use, race, and equity, the Ideas RoundUP considers a variety of issues including community engagement, transportation, housing, access to greenspace, and health, all through the lens of racial equity.
Colorado Housing Affordability Project
RMLUI partnered with housing and land use professionals to conduct research and develop a policy platform designed to address aspects of the housing affordability crisis rooted in land use law and policy. This work culminated in the Colorado Housing Affordability Project, which provides thought leadership and research in support of policy for statewide land use reform efforts in Colorado.
Metro Denver Nature Alliance
RMLUI has partnered with community-based organizations and public agencies across the Denver Metro region to co-create an equity-centered regional conservation vision that can support strategic land use decision making. The Metro Denver Nature Alliance seeks to promote green infrastructure and equitable access to the benefits of nature in urban and urbanizing metro regions.
Sustainable Community Development Code Framework
In the early 2000s, RMLUI developed the framework for a sustainable community development code and, with its partners, conducted research to establish best practices for communities interested in updating their zoning codes with a sustainability focus. That framework has become the Sustainable Development Code, used by cities across the country to audit and upgrade their development laws in ways that remove barriers, create incentives, and fill regulatory gaps based on a core set of sustainability objectives.
