As mentioned previously, downtown Denver right now resembles nothing so much as a big street fair. Yesterday , a  group of kids from our North Denver neighborhood rode down to the MSNBC stage on Wewatta Street to sell Lemonade for Change and netted nearly $70, + some national news coverage. Not bad for an after school jaunt.

A friend sent this account from the Alliance Center office building next to the Big Tent:

If you haven’t already,  visit the NYTimes website and look at today’s videos near the middle of the page, then select the video titled the Carpetbagger at the Convention. You’ll see the tent next to our building and then. . . wait for it!. . . he goes inside to speak w/ Ariana Huffington- in suite 307! I’ve never been so proud of that unassuming space. Poise and grace infuse every panel of the recycled, non-toxic, carpet squares affixed w/ vegetable-based mastic. Watch the clip. . .

 Read more »

After weeks of scaffolding, tents and jersey barriers being the only visual signs that anything was afoot, this past weekend  the Democrats came to town and the city went from pure anticipation and gossip to the reality of 30-50,000 political junkies here to play and make history.

From my vantage on the hill just north of downtown life has not changed much. I still walk into downtown and can easily move to and from my office by car or bike. But, once downtown, there are throngs. Free bicycle stations everywhere. MSNBC taping live on a screened in stage behind Union Station, the Big Tent on Wynkoop Street  hosting a variety of Digg forums with activists and celebrities (and celebrity activists). Free smoothies from Google. Pedicabs  doing a brisk business and giant donkeys and elephants patrolling the streets on segways. Parties everywhere, all night long.

 Read more »

In the months following the selection of Denver as the host city for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, I worked to lay the groundwork for it to be the greenest convention ever - supporting Mayor Hickenlooper’s early greening pitch to DNCC chair Howard Dean and organizing a group of advocates and supporters to get the effort underway. Since leaving my role as Greenprint Denver founding Director in June of 2007, life has been relatively quiet. I’ve enjoyed building a new business, being in the private sector, walking to work, supporting local and national clients with sustainability strategy needs and working on a book contract.

But next week the Democratic National Convention comes to Denver, and it’s impossible not to get caught up in the transformation in the city as it prepares for 30,000 guests, and the wild proliferation of “green” events and opportunities related to this historic event.  Read more »