Jonathan Knight
Jonathan Knight is an award-winning planner and a recent graduate of Kansas State University with a Master's of Regional and Community Planning and Minor in Business. His interest in planning probably came from his avid playing of "Roller Coaster Tycoon" as a child: always fascinated in how complex things in the built environment worked; how they fit together; and why people feel certain ways in different environments. He has worked in sustainability, regional planning, and school planning. He is a professional freelance photojournalist and has been published in national, regional, and local publications. Upon graduation, Jonathan followed his dreams of living near the Rocky Mountains and moved west to Denver, Colorado. At some point during his time at The Grid in 2014, he will have climbed all 58 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado--a 12-year journey completed! Jonathan will be blogging about innovative urban planning, transportation, and housing projects occurring in the Denver region as it seeks to be a world-class city for businesses and people.
Farewell to The Grid from Jonathan Knight: Denver, Colorado
by Jonathan Knight
It’s amazing how much you can learn about a city like Denver, Colorado once you start writing about it. My internship at The Grid exposed me to a variety of community projects or urban planning trends in Denver I had ... Read article
B-Cycle® Denver: The Bike Sharing Start-Up is Changing Commuting in Denver
by Jonathan Knight
In previous articles, I have discussed Denver’s attempts to expand transportation alternatives and curb its air pollution problems by expanding light-rail and create a wider portfolio of sustainable transportation choice... Read article
Are Homeless Ruining I.M. Pei’s 16th Street Mall in Denver?
by Jonathan Knight
Can homeless ruin good urban planning? Do you find New York City’s midtown section just a little less enjoyable because of the homeless population? Think of your favorite area in your favorite city: Was there a significa... Read article
Denver Asks its Citizens to "Stop Being an SOV"
by Jonathan Knight
Do you walk to work? No? I’m not surprised. The State of Colorado is known as the healthiest states in the country and the City of Denver its densest, most urban place to work. So, how many people are walking to work... Read article
Denver's Young Professionals Suffer in Affordable Housing Crisis
by Jonathan Knight
Congratulations! You just landed your dream entry-level urban planning job in your dream city of Denver, Colorado. Unfortunately, you may go broke trying to find a rental apartment. When I accepted my position in the pl... Read article
“Tactical Urbanism” Implemented by the Planning Department in Denver, Colorado
by Jonathan Knight
It sounds more like a military exercise than something urban planners and urban planning aficionados can learn about. In reality, tactical urbanism is a grassroots movement for citizens to make changes in their community... Read article
How Smog is Destroying Denver’s Rocky Mountain Views
by Jonathan Knight
The Denver metro area is the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. Colorado is known across the world for its incredible opportunities to hike, climb, bike, fish, ski, snowboard, you name it - if it’s outdoors, Colorado is a g... Read article
Redeveloped Denver Union Station Shows Priority for Regional Transportation
by Jonathan Knight
The historic Denver Union Station is getting a makeover to the tune of $900 million. The plan is to turn one of Denver’s most prominent, yet underutilized historic structures, into the anchor of the Denver region’s expan... Read article
Stapleton, Denver: Living up to its New Urbanism Promise?
by Jonathan Knight
Stapleton, Denver is a New Urbanism development on the site of former Stapleton International Airport, which closed in 1995. The former airport sat on 4,700 acres located about ten minutes east from Downtown Denver. Stap... Read article
Can Denver’s Ambitious Light-Rail Plan Meet its 2018 Completion Deadline?
by Jonathan Knight
In 1993, Denver, Colorado did not have a single light-rail line in its metro area. By October 1994, it had a 5.3-mile track operating on what is now the D line - Denver’s first light-rail line. In 2004, Denver voters ap... Read article
Why Grandma is Moving to Denver, Not Miami
by Jonathan Knight
Denver has the longest winter of any of the U.S. cities, averaging over fifty inches of snowfall per year, and has an average annual temperature more than twenty-five degrees lower than Miami, Florida. So why is grandma ... Read article
Is Legal Marijuana a Problem for Urban Planners?
by Jonathan Knight
On November 6th, 2012, the state of Colorado became one of just two U.S. states to legalize the recreational sale of marijuana with the passing of Amendment 64. The first stores to sell marijuana legally officially opene... Read article