Core Values, Planning Principles, and Planning Priorities

In phases one and two of the City Plan process, staff used public input to create and confirm our Core Values, Planning Principles, and Planning Priorities.

Core Values: Deeply-held, widely shared beliefs in Wheat Ridge that serve as building blocks for our vision of the future.

  • Independent-Minded - We go our own way. - 72% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
  • Inclusive - Our community is welcoming to all and is a good home for different kinds of people. - 82% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
  • Forward-Looking - We are responsible to the future. - 87% Agreed or Mostly Agreed


Planning Principles: Criteria for public decision-making that ensure adherence to the community’s core values.

  • Serve a mix of incomes - We will avoid the likelihood that new housing is only for those with high incomes. - 77% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
  • Preserve our “patchwork quilt,” - We will celebrate and enhance the unique character of areas within Wheat Ridge. - 89% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
  • Focus on sustainability - We will act as good stewards of the environment. 86% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
  • Strengthen the City’s fiscal position - We will make decisions about public investments with an eye on the future. - 88% Agreed or Mostly Agreed


Planning Priorities: Important, long-term projects that must be done right in order for the community to be successful.

  • Improved Retail and Business Environment – We will support the business community and cultivate the kinds of places where residents want to shop, dine, and visit. - 78% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
  • 38th Ave. from Lutheran Legacy Campus to Harlan St. – We will continue shaping this section of 38th Avenue into Wheat Ridge’s Main Street corridor - 78% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
  • Network of Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Across the City – We will provide a system for pedestrians and cyclists to move between important locations more easily. - 86% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
  • Proactive Infrastructure Management – We will catch up on deferred infrastructure maintenance and keep pace into the future. - 95% Agreed or Mostly Agreed
Share Core Values, Planning Principles, and Planning Priorities on Facebook Share Core Values, Planning Principles, and Planning Priorities on Twitter Share Core Values, Planning Principles, and Planning Priorities on Linkedin Email Core Values, Planning Principles, and Planning Priorities link