As demand for AI and cloud-computing infrastructure continues to accelerate, data center development has become an increasingly important issue for commercial real estate developers, utility companies, municipalities, and land use practitioners across the country. During the 2026 legislative session, Colorado lawmakers considered two competing bills that would have impacted the landscape for large-scale data center
For much of the American West, this winter has been historically warm and dry. Due to the resulting snow drought, many experts are predicting an intense wildfire season in Colorado and across the West more broadly. Colorado legislators have taken notice. As in recent legislative sessions, there is currently a tranche of wildfire mitigation and
Colorado legislators are once again advancing legislation they say will address the state’s need for affordable housing. With an abundance of vacant and underutilized land currently restricted from use for residential developments, lawmakers argue that reducing local zoning barriers will expand the availability of housing across the state.
Arguments in Favor of the Proposed Legislation:
The National Zoning Atlas (NZA) team is digitizing, demystifying, and democratizing information about zoning conditions in more than 33,000 jurisdictions in the United States. Fully comprehending the zoning conditions of a particular state, and therefore housing and development opportunity, is often stifled by lack of standardization. Which jurisdictions have the authority to exercise powers is
Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (“HOST”) and Denver Housing Authority (“DHA”) are partnering to pilot a program aimed at spurring development of middle-income housing. As reported in the Denver Post, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has described the pilot program as a way for the city to promote the development of housing