Metro Denver: Mile High Advantages
Regionalism
Taking a regional approach is how we do business.
The Metro Denver region has a long history of getting big projects done. In the last three decades, the region successfully cleaned up its air and diversified its oil and gas-dependent economy, spearheaded construction of the nation’s only new airport in the past 25 years, and got the nation’s largest single transit buildout rolling.
In Metro Denver, the public and private sector together rally behind economic development for the good of the entire region. The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC), the nation's first truly regional economic development entity, and its predecessor organizations – the Greater Denver Corporation and the Metro Denver Network – have been working and acting regionally since the mid-1980s.
In 2003, still feeling the effects of the post 9/11 high-tech fallout, Metro Denver was in the economic doldrums. Some of the region's business leaders decided to take matters into their own hands and work together to find ways to jump-start the economy and reignite Colorado's legendary "can do" attitude.
And that year, business leaders launched the Metro Denver EDC's BreakThrough! Denver campaign, which raised $13.3 million to create 100,000 new jobs and brand the Metro Denver area nationally as a sustainable hub for new economy businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers.
Today, the Metro Denver region is recognized nationally and even internationally for its collaborative approach to economic development. With community-wide support for the arts, bipartisan dialogue among the region's mayors, and proactive efforts to attract major sporting events, collaboration and enthusiasm abound in Metro Denver.
Working together for a vibrant future. It's how we do business in Metro Denver.
Economic development without boundaries.
The region’s workforce isn’t the only group in Metro Denver that’s smart and energetic. Those terms also aptly describe the Metro Denver EDC – the organization that’s leading the charge toward a sustainable new economy for the region.
An affiliate of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Metro Denver EDC is the nation’s first and only truly regional economic development entity, bringing together more than 70 cities, counties, and economic development agencies in Metro Denver and Northern Colorado. A catalyst for economic prosperity, the Metro Denver EDC met its initial goal of creating 100,000 new jobs by 2008.
In early 2009, the Metro Denver EDC successfully completed a five-year capital campaign to broaden its business leadership base and raise an additional $5 million over five years for programs to grow the economy.
Our philosophy toward bringing business to Metro Denver is also unique. Each of the Metro Denver EDC’s economic development partner organizations is committed to the economic vitality of the entire region. As an ambassador for the area, each is ready and able to communicate the benefits of Metro Denver first and individual communities second.
When our clients – site selectors or companies – come to visit, we focus on their needs. Without pressure, we provide all the information needed to make an informed decision. If you’re considering relocating or expanding your company, you won’t find a better resource than the Metro Denver EDC.
- The Metro Mayor's Caucus has 40 members representing municipalities of all sizes. And, membership is voluntary.
- Metro Denver's successful regional economic development practices have been studied worldwide by British Columbia, China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Kazakhstan, and the United Kingdom to name a few.
Put 40 politicians together in Metro Denver and what do you get? Consensus.
Issues like air quality, water use, growth, and transportation don’t stop at the city limits. In 1993, area leaders formed the Metro Mayors Caucus to create a neutral arena for the exchange of ideas on issues that affect our entire region.
Like the Metro Denver EDC, the Caucus fosters cooperation among its members and other governmental agencies. This unique collaboration provides leadership and creative solutions for the region’s most challenging issues such as growth management, multimodal transportation, energy conservation, affordable housing, and intergovernmental cooperation.
Regionalism spawns more cooperation. The Metro Mayors Caucus, with 11 other civic and government organizations, formed the Denver Living Streets initiative to support multimodal, sustainable transportation and to integrate with the use and form of adjacent development to achieve great destinations for people—not just the movement of people. The region's mayors also tackle growth management, water, housing, and health and wellness issues.
- A national model for funding culture, the SCFD distributes $40 million annually to 300 arts and culture organizations.
- Culture in Metro Denver had a $1.46 billion economic impact in 2009 according to the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.
We support our culture. And it shows.
At a time when museums, theatres, and other venues found themselves scrambling for funding, the leadership and citizens of Metro Denver voiced strong, collective support for our cultural groups. In 1988, voters approved a sales tax that earmarked one cent of every $10 to support art, historical, and scientific organizations in the seven-county Metro Denver region.
Over the past 20 years, the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) has funded more than 300 organizations throughout Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.The SCFD is considered a national model for funding culture.
Here, the arts also mean business – a thriving cultural community makes Metro Denver a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. Our regional support for arts and culture is also evident in the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA), a 150-business member organization that helps companies leverage the arts for innovative and creative success. Launched in 1984 by local business leaders, the CBCA is one of eight affiliates of the national Business Committee for the Arts founded by David Rockefeller in 1967.
It's no wonder that the arts flourish in Metro Denver. Read more about our culture.
In Metro Denver, 'go team' isn't just a cheer. It's a mantra.
This is a sports town. So it's no surprise that our team spirit extends from the bleachers to the conference room table.
The Metro Denver Sports Commission 
(Denver Sports) is a regional group leading the charge to create a legacy of economic and social vitality through sports. The Commission is actively engaged with the community and the sports industry in Metro Denver. Its members include local businesses, area colleges and universities, local and state government entities, civic organizations, and professional sports teams.
Thanks to the Commission's efforts, Denver has hosted events such as the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and the 2008 NCAA Frozen Four Hockey Tournament. And in 2009, Denver was the first North American city to host SportAccord, an international gathering of over 1,200 sports decision makers. In 2011, Denver hosted the Denver Big Air World Cup Snowboarding competition. Upcoming events coming to Denver because of the efforts of the Commission include the 2012 NCAA Basketball Women's Final Four and the 2014 FIL Men's Lacrosse World Championships.
Other Denver Sports efforts include promoting health and wellness, increasing youth participation in sports, and working to attract major events that have a significant regional economic impact.