Inclusive Planning Through Music: The Levitt Denver Story

The Levitt Foundation is a national creative-placemaking funder supporting the largest free outdoor concert series in America. This presentation explores the Levitt model’s impact on communities through a case study of Levitt Pavilion Denver. This outdoor performance venue transformed Ruby Hill Park from an underused space into a thriving community destination — highlighting the power of arts and culture in community planning to spark positive change.

Surrounded by a historically low-income, predominantly Latinx neighborhood, Levitt Denver was conceived in response to a community-engaged master planning process that identified amenities, including an outdoor amphitheater, to bring new life to the park. Since opening in 2017 as a public-private partnership between the local Friends of Levitt nonprofit, the City and County of Denver, and the Levitt Foundation, Levitt Denver’s annual series has brought together over 300,000 people, of all ages and backgrounds, from surrounding neighborhoods and the entire city. Panelists discuss engaging diverse stakeholders throughout the planning process, structuring public-private partnerships, and implementing inclusive programming that reflects the community’s cultural fabric. Key findings from a pre- and post-intervention study of Levitt Denver suggest practical methods to spark similar transformations in attendees’ communities.

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