JEFF SHEPPARD'S OPINION PIECE FEAT. IN SUNDAY'S DENVER POST

Jeff Sheppard's opinion piece on Denver's recent housing design was featured in the Denver Post on Sunday, April 5th, 2015.

Read the full article here.

Jeff is encouraging comments and responses to the article and has received many thus far. He would like to express the following:

'First of all, I want to thank all of you for reading and responding to my
editorial regarding the questionable design direction our multifamily
housing market has succumb  to. I've received over 200 emails in the last
24 hours so this is obviously an issue that is both relevant and important
to many individuals as well as neighborhood groups. An individual running
for city council and a state senator have also responded and requested
further discussions regarding this matter so the dialogue will definitely
continue. To keep the discussion moving and generate a synergy that cannot
be ignored, I would like to suggest that you take every opportunity you
have to discuss this issue when in any type of social situation. Bring it
up at dinner tonight, at a restaurant, when you are with friends one
evening , or at home with your kids. Mention it at work, in conference
meetings and most certainly at your neighborhood meetings. The dialogue
needs to spread beyond the hundreds who have responded. E mail the article
to everyone on your contact list. It's really amazing how something like
this can spread so quickly.

Yet dialogue does not always lead to action. We have taken the first steps
by recognizing the lack of creativity , compatibility, quality and choice
as a problem inherent to most of what is now being constructed. Getting
others to recognize the problem is step 1. The discourse needs to grow to
engage council members, planning offices, developers, architects  and even
financial institutions. Action is the next step and that is something I
will be working on over the next several weeks, so your continued support
and suggestions will be appreciated.

I hope to respond to each of your e mails individually over the next
several days so please bare with me. In the mean time you might want to
take a look at an interesting book that was published a few decades ago
but certainly relevant today: A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander
. It does not digress into style discussions instead it remains focused on
the patterns / design principles that have led to good design over many
centuries. It is written in a direct and cohesive way by discussing the
macro conditions of urban planning all the way down to the interior design
of a single room in a dwelling unit. Most libraries have it on hand and it
is also still available in print.

Again, thank you all for your feedback and support.'