Commerce City Selected for National Initiative to Address Community Health and Well-Being

Commerce City has been selected as one of six cities nationwide to participate in the National League of Cities 2025 Community Health and Well-Being Accelerator, a 12-month program focusing on housing, healthy food, healthcare, transportation, and economic opportunity. The City Council passed a resolution to formally support the effort, which is built around the premise that progress in any one of the targeted areas strengthens the others.

The selection comes as the city is already running several related initiatives through its Energy, Equity and Environmental Division. Current projects include an Energy Equity Action Plan, an Electric Vehicle Equity Action Plan, building efficiency work with the Denver Regional Council of Governments, and a Garden in a Box program expanding resident access to food production and green space. The Sustainable Neighborhoods Network is slated to launch in 2027. The Community Gardens Project, funded through ARPA dollars, is also underway, targeting food access and environmental quality in priority neighborhoods.

The city recently completed its first tree canopy assessment, which will guide future urban forestry decisions. Commerce City has set a goal of reaching 20% tree canopy citywide — a target that city planners say would meaningfully improve air quality and reduce neighborhood temperatures. Both the Comprehensive Plan and the Parks Master Plan call for expanded tree planting in parks, along streets, and in redevelopment areas.

The city is having updates through council study sessions about community health and well-being to allow residents to monitor the progress of these programs. To view study session presentations on these initiatives, visit commerce.legistar.com. Additional information is available through the Community Well-Being Division and Energy, Equity and the Environment pages at c3gov.com.