APA Sustaining Places (PAS 578, 2015)

Plan Scorecard

How the 2026 Comprehensive Plan measures against the 85-item APA Sustaining Places rubric — six principles, two processes, two attributes.

Result

Overall

Self-scored — validation pending

A manual, single-coder evaluation of the 2026 Comprehensive Planagainst APA Sustaining Places. Scores run 0–3 (with Not Applicable excluded from the denominator per APA's rule); items grounded in the engagement chapters not yet in our structured sources are marked Not yet scored rather than guessed. Krippendorff α inter-coder validation is deferred.

69%

Overall score

170 of 246 points

Not yet recognized

APA recognition tier

Bronze 70% · Silver 80% · Gold 90%

Items scored

of 85 in the rubric

1 · 2

N/A · Not yet scored

excluded from the denominator

Principle 1

Livable Built Environment — 76%

1.1 Multi-modal transportation
Ch 2-3 Economic Dev / Infrastructure — ED.1C multi-modal connectivity + INF.2 multi-modal mobility (pedestrian/transit/parking)
High
1.2 Transit-oriented development
Ch 3 Infrastructure — INF.2B transit hubs + village growth near corridor
directionalMedium
1.3 Coordinate regional transport w/ job clusters
Ch 2-3 — Walkable spine to Black Hawk job corridor; RTD partnership
directionalMedium
1.4 Complete streets
Ch 3 Infrastructure — INF.2A pedestrian network: sidewalks, stairways, lighting
directionalMedium
1.5 Walkable/bikeable mixed land use
Ch 6 Land Use — Walkable mixed-use villages; LU.2C missing-middle; bike hub
High
1.6 Infill development
Ch 2/4/6 — ED.1E infill gaming; H.1B infill & adaptive reuse
High
1.7 Context-appropriate design standards
Ch 5-6 — HP.3 performance-based compatibility; LU.2 unified development code
High
1.8 Accessible public facilities/spaces
Ch 2-3 — ADA accessibility (ED.1C); accessible parks/rec (INF.1)
directionalMedium
1.9 Conserve/reuse historic resources
Ch 5 Historic Preservation — Whole HP chapter: stabilization, restoration, adaptive reuse
High
1.10 Green building & energy conservation
Ch 6 — No green-building / energy-conservation standards in the draft
directionalNot present
1.11 Discourage development in hazard zones
Ch 3 — INF.3B WUI standards, INF.1B wildfire buffer, evacuation routes
directionalMedium

Principle 2

Harmony With Nature — 41%

2.1 Restore/connect/protect habitats & sensitive lands
Ch 3 — Wildfire vegetation mgmt + trail/open-space buffers
directionalMedium
2.2 Green infrastructure
Ch 3 — INF.4B green infrastructure; INF.1C stormwater detention in parks
Medium
2.3 Respect natural topography
Ch 6 — Stepback height system (LU.2B); slope stabilization
directionalMedium
2.4 Reduce carbon footprints
Ch 2-7 — No carbon/GHG-reduction policy
directionalNot present
2.5 Air-quality compliance
N/A
2.6 Climate change adaptation
Ch 3 — Wildfire/stormwater resilience present; explicit climate adaptation not framed
directionalLow
2.7 Renewable energy
Ch 2-7 — No renewable-energy policy
directionalNot present
2.8 Solid-waste reduction
Ch 2-7 — No solid-waste-reduction policy
directionalNot present
2.9 Water conservation & lasting supply
Ch 3 — INF.4A water system: fire storage, pressure, supply upgrades
directionalMedium
2.10 Protect streams/watersheds/floodplains
Ch 3 — INF.4B stormwater master plan; peak-flow management; watershed
directionalMedium

Principle 3

Resilient Economy — 71%

3.1 Physical capacity for growth
Ch 7 Strategic Growth — Growth framework: 600ac growth area, 13 villages, capacity-aligned
High
3.2 Balanced land-use mix (fiscal)
Ch 2 — Diversify beyond 95% gaming dependence; ED.4 non-tourism economy
High
3.3 Transport access to employment
Ch 2-3 — Multimodal access to Black Hawk employment; transit
directionalMedium
3.4 Green businesses/jobs
Ch 2 — Outdoor-rec economy green-adjacent; no explicit green-jobs program
directionalLow
3.5 Community-based econ development
Ch 2 — ED.4 resident economy: local business, incubators, micro-lending
High
3.6 Infrastructure capacity vs growth/decline
Ch 3/7 — Infrastructure framework 'scale into strength'; SG.1C phasing to capacity
High
3.7 Post-disaster economic recovery
Ch 3 — Hazard mitigation present; no post-disaster economic-recovery plan
directionalNot present

Principle 4

Interwoven Equity — 67%

4.1 Range of housing types
Ch 4 Housing — Diverse housing ecosystem; missing-middle; mixed-income
High
4.2 Jobs/housing balance
Ch 2/4 — Workforce housing tied to gaming jobs (ED.1A/ED.4A)
High
4.3 Improve at-risk/distressed neighborhoods
Ch 2/5 — Vacant-storefront & vacant-structure activation (52% vacancy)
directionalMedium
4.4 Health & safety for at-risk populations
Ch 3-4 — Anti-displacement for seniors/low-income/disabled (H.3B); emergency svcs
directionalMedium
4.5 Quality services to low-income/minority areas
Ch 2 — ED.4C community services; regional social-service partnerships
directionalMedium
4.6 Upgrade older/substandard infrastructure
Ch 3 — INF.4 utilities modernization: water/stormwater/broadband upgrades
High
4.7 Workforce diversity & development
Ch 2 — Workforce housing strong; workforce development limited (ED.4D coaching)
directionalLow
4.8 Protect vulnerable pops from hazards
Ch 3-4 — WUI/evacuation + anti-displacement protections
directionalMedium
4.9 Environmental justice
Ch 4 — Equity framed broadly; no explicit environmental-justice analysis
directionalNot present

Principle 5

Healthy Community — 52%

5.1 Reduce toxins/pollutants exposure
Ch 2-7 — No toxics/pollutant-exposure policy
directionalNot present
5.2 Public safety (crime/injury)
Ch 3 — INF.3 fire/EMS, evacuation, public-safety enhancement
directionalMedium
5.3 Brownfield mitigation/redevelopment
Ch 2-7 — Historic mining context, but no brownfield program in the draft
directionalNot present
5.4 Physical activity & healthy lifestyles
Ch 2-3 — ED.2 outdoor-rec economy; trails; INF.1 parks & recreation
High
5.5 Accessible parks/recreation/open space
Ch 3 — INF.1 parks & outdoor-rec system; trail master plan
High
5.6 Access to healthy local foods
Ch 2 — Recruit grocery (ED.4B); Spring Makers Market; limited food-access policy
directionalLow
5.7 Equitable access to health/schools/safety/arts
Ch 2 — Arts/culture access (ED.3); recruit clinics; community services
directionalMedium

Principle 6

Responsible Regionalism — 67%

6.1 Coordinate land use w/ regional transport
Ch 2-3 — RTD + Black Hawk corridor + Peak-to-Peak coordination
directionalMedium
6.2 Coordinate regional housing goals
Ch 4 — H.4A Peak-to-Peak MJHA; regional housing cost-sharing
High
6.3 Coordinate open space w/ regional green infra
Ch 2 — Maryland Mountain Connector; Gilpin Backcountry regional trails
directionalMedium
6.4 Transit-served growth areas
Ch 3/6 — Transit partnerships serving village growth areas
directionalMedium
6.5 Regional cooperation/resource sharing
Ch 4/2 — Black Hawk, Gilpin County, DOLA, RTD, MJHA cooperation
High
6.6 Connect local centers to regional destinations
Ch 2 — Peak-to-Peak scenic byway; regional connectivity
directionalMedium
6.7 Coordinate population/economic projections
Ch 6 — Gilpin County 247ac incorporation target; growth projections
directionalLow
6.8 Include regional visions in local scenarios
Ch 7 — Regional context present; formal regional-scenario integration limited
directionalLow
6.9 Align CIP with regional infra priorities
Implementation — Capital funding aligned to DOLA/state/regional sources
directionalMedium

Process 7

Authentic Participation — 53%

7.1 Engage stakeholders all stages
Ch 0-1 (not in structured sources) — Engagement process documented in ch0-1; not page-verifiable here
Not yet scored
7.2 Seek diverse participation
Ch 0-1 (not in structured sources) — Diverse-participation detail in ch0-1; not page-verifiable here
Not yet scored
7.3 Leadership development in disadvantaged communities
Ch 0-1 — No leadership-development program for disadvantaged communities
directionalNot present
7.4 Develop alternative future scenarios
Ch 6-7 — Village/growth scenarios + revenue-wedge phasing = alternative futures
directionalMedium
7.5 Ongoing understandable information
Civic dashboard — metrics.json dashboard widgets + companion-app ongoing information
Medium
7.6 Variety of communications channels
Civic dashboard — Dashboard, companion app, festivals as communication channels
directionalMedium
7.7 Continue engagement after adoption
Ch 5 / dashboard — Annual preservation audits + dashboard tracking post-adoption
directionalMedium

Process 8

Accountable Implementation — 92%

8.1 Specific implementation actions
Implementation matrix — Phased items with specific actions; goal-level action lists
High
8.2 Connect to capital planning
Implementation — Capital-planning alignment; budget estimates; phasing
High
8.3 Connect to annual budgeting
Implementation — Budget estimates + funding; explicit annual-budget linkage lighter
directionalMedium
8.4 Interagency/org cooperation
Implementation — Leads (Public Works/Fire/City Mgr) + DOLA/FEMA/state partnerships
High
8.5 Identify funding sources
Implementation — Per-item funding sources (DOLA, SRF, FEMA BRIC, broadband grants)
High
8.6 Indicators/benchmarks/targets
Metrics — Targets: Prop123 6/yr, 18 by 2030, 30 long-term; dashboard widgets
High
8.7 Evaluate & report progress
Metrics / dashboard — Civic dashboard, status tracking, annual preservation audits
High
8.8 Adjust plan based on evaluation
Metrics — Dashboard supports adjustment; explicit re-plan trigger lighter
directionalMedium

Attribute 9

Consistent Content — 88%

9.1 SWOT assessment
Ch 0-1 / metrics — Challenges named (52% vacancy, 95% gaming, 52% deterioration); SWOT not formal
directionalMedium
9.2 Establish fact base
Metrics — metrics.json fact base: demographics, economy, housing, land use
High
9.3 Vision of the future
Plan-wide — Each chapter opens with a vision statement
High
9.4 Goals supporting vision
Plan-wide — Goals articulated per chapter
High
9.5 Objectives supporting goals
Plan-wide — Strategies (objectives) under each goal
High
9.6 Policies to guide decisions
Plan-wide — Strategies/actions are policy-bearing; formal policy register lighter
directionalMedium
9.7 Actions to carry out plan
Implementation — Action lists + implementation tracker
High
9.8 Clear/compelling presentation
Portal — Structured, dashboard-ready presentation (the plan portal)
directionalMedium

Attribute 10

Coordinated Characteristics — 78%

10.1 Comprehensive coverage
Plan-wide — Covers economy, infrastructure, housing, preservation, land use, growth
High
10.2 Integrate w/ other local plans
Ch 3 — References trail / stormwater / outdoor-rec master plans
directionalMedium
10.3 Innovative approach
Ch 6-7 — Villages framework, revenue-wedge strategy, civic dashboard
directionalMedium
10.4 Persuasive communication
Plan-wide — Vision-led, evidence-backed narrative
directionalMedium
10.5 Consistent across components
Plan-wide — Vision -> goals -> strategies consistent across chapters
directionalMedium
10.6 Coordinate w/ other jurisdictions/levels
Ch 2/4 — Black Hawk, Gilpin County, DOLA, state, MJHA, RTD coordination
High
10.7 Comply with laws/mandates
Ch 2/4 — Cites HB21-1271, Prop 123, SB24-174 mandates
Medium
10.8 Transparent substance
Metrics — Public metrics/dashboard transparency
directionalMedium
10.9 Formats beyond paper
Portal — Delivered as a digital portal + dashboards + companion app, beyond paper
High

Provenance

Methodology & attribution

Scoring rubric: APA Sustaining Places (PAS 578, 2015). Scored by BDITS, 2026-06-17. Methodology: manual single-coder; Krippendorff α validation deferred. Provenance: docs/platform/research/state-of-the-art/.