Thank you to KRDO and Fox21 News for covering this important issue.  Be sure to catch Councilmember Donelson, again, discussing why the people should be allowed to vote.

Dense, urban environments tend to concentrate and trap pollution, particularly in cities situated near mountains. In Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak will act as a barrier that exacerbates the buildup of pollution.

According to the American Lung Association, Denver ranks SIXTH in the nation and Colorado Springs now 20th for the worst cities in the United States for ozone pollution.  This is truly stunning news.  El Paso County gets an F from the American Lung Association with Manitou Springs, on May 1st, already ranking worst Ozone in the entire state of Colorado well ahead of the summer months when temperatures rise.

“Denver (6th), Fort Collins (15th), and Colorado Springs (20th) each ranked among the 25 worst cities in the nation for ozone pollution...While ozone pollution in all three cities got worse compared with last year’s report, Colorado Springs experienced a significant increase in the number of unhealthy ozone days, making it a new addition to the list this year. Denver also recorded its worst-ever levels for short-term particle pollution.” 

                                    - American Lung Association, April 19th, 2023

Density concentrates pollution and mountains capture and trap it.  See the 8-hour Ozone  non-attainment map for the United States, and what do you notice?  First, the state, California, with the most rigid air quality standards has the worst ozone level with extreme ratings IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS of the state.  In fact, Colorado Public Radio did a story about this very issue in 2019.  Second, when you look across the United States, do you see a pattern?  The worst air quality is the most dense cities, and there’s science that proves it.

In 2014, China did a study on “street canyons” formed by skyscrapers and found that: 

• Pollutant Concentration:  Air pollutants such as NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) were significantly higher in streets surrounded by tall buildings, creating a "street canyon" effect.
• Health Risks:  People living or working in these areas have a higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases due to prolonged exposure to high pollution levels.
• Wind Tunnel Effect:  Tall buildings create wind tunnels that can increase or decrease pollutant dispersion depending on wind direction.
  Research showed that ultrafine particles are more concentrated near tall buildings, with street-level concentrations being three times higher in dense areas.

In 2017, a team of English environmental scientists conducted a study, “How tall buildings affect turbulent air flows and dispersion of pollution within a neighbourhood.” which concluded, 

       “As it is seen from the results, simply changing the height of a single building can have negative effects on pollution levels on-site.”

Streets lined with tall buildings often have higher concentrations of pollutants with evidence NO2 and PM2.5  is higher due to reduced airflow and trapping of chemicals.

In addition to the taller the building, the bigger the urban heat island effect, the building height also contributes to pollution via HVAC, energy consumption and construction activities with each story added to a structure.  

To the inevitable claims that density will reduce pollution as everyone will walk or bike everywhere, that has not happened in Denver.  In fact, it’s gotten worse as they have added skyscraper after skyscraper, each one topping the previous in height - each one adding more concentrated pollution.  

We need your help to hit the estimated 10,000 signatures we believe we need.  Please use these updates to repost and email to encourage everyone to sign so we can send this issue to a vote of the people in November 2024.