City Cast Denver

Is a speed camera coming to your street? Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure shared preliminary plans to install cameras along parts of Federal Blvd. and Alameda Ave. with more coming soon. So, host Bree Davies and producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi are talking about how these new cameras are supposed to work, the surveillance question, and why these streets are get...

Homelessness is one of the major issues that cities like Denver are trying to solve. The state of Utah is planning to build a 16-acre homeless campus on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, where unhoused people with mental illnesses or addiction issues could be sheltered and in some cases involuntarily committed. This controversial idea is the brainchild of conservative think tanks, and it’s one that...

Despite this season’s lack of snow, Waymo, the autonomous ride share company, says their robotaxis-in-training are still learning how to drive in Denver winters. Then, Stella's Coffee Haus recently announced they are cutting off Wi-Fi at their shop, which has us wondering — should coffee shops even have Wi-Fi? And what’s the etiquette for working-from-coffeehouse? Host Bree Davies and producer Oli...

Earlier this week, Governor Jared Polis made a post on X comparing the sentences of former Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis and former county clerk Tina Peters, both of whom have been convicted of attempting to influence a public official, among other charges. Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love are joined by comedian Kate McLachlan to dig into what Polis is – or isn’t saying – about Presid...

Kwame Spearman wants you to buy books from him again. The 2023 mayoral hopeful and former CEO of The Tattered Cover opened Denver Book Society last month and he’s hoping for a redemption arc. But  social media chatter shows some Denverites feeling skeptical of his second try at book selling, accusing him of being a catalyst for Tattered’s failure at retaining local ownership and calling into quest...

Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order last week that, among other things, bans immigration officials from any city property and requires Denver police to intervene if federal agents are compromising the safety of citizens. Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dig into how this order could play out. Then, a new report on the “structural contracti...

March is historically the snowiest month here in the Mile High City, but after the last few weeks of historically high winter temps, who knows what to expect! What we do know is how to make the most of this month — snow or not. Comedian and returning guest JD Lopez joins City Cast’s Adrian González and Paul Karolyi to share insider recommendations for the best things to do, experience, eat, and dr...

A lot of cities, including Denver, are trying to figure out how best to revitalize downtown. It's an issue that's especially top of mind for Pittsburgh, who is hosting the NFL Draft in April. To solve the problem of vacant properties and empty storefronts, the city is trying out a new rent abatement program. So, City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Pittsburgh podcast host Megan Harris ab...

After bubbling up over the last few months, the debate over data centers in Denver boiled over this week. Mayor Mike Johnston imposed a moratorium on new ones being built, then a community meeting erupted in chants to halt construction on one going up in Elyria-Swansea. Our green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval was at the town hall, and she joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to...

A moratorium on new data centers. A replacement for Flock surveillance cameras. A reversal in the Alameda Ave. safety plan debate. These are all big issues in the city right now that Mayor Mike Johnston has recently seemed to change his mind about. So, what gives? Johnston sits down with host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to explain these big recent shifts — plus, what he thinks about one...

Could downtown’s narrative finally be changing? From buying up the Pavilions to renovating Skyline Park, the city has been putting big money and energy toward making Denver’s urban core appealing again. Developers are following suit — real estate investor Asher Luzzatto recently announced plans to spend $300 million on renovating a whole city block, including the conversion of two aging office bui...

With the primaries just around the corner in June, Senator Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser are hitting the gubernatorial campaign trail hard. This past weekend, the two leading Democratic candidates joined a forum — put on by Greater Denver Transit, the Denver Bicycle Lobby, and YIMBY Denver — to spar over their positions on everything from Peña Boulevard and rental assistance to a...

Beau Jo’s is a bona fide Colorado institution, but the full origin story of “Colorado Style Pizza” has not been told until today. Producer Paul Karolyi has been obsessed with Beau Jo’s since moving here in 2015 and seeing Denverites put honey on their pizza crust. Finally, he completed a multi-year investigation of the honey-crust phenomenon and the true meaning of “Colorado Style Pizza” for the J...

Everyone’s talking about AI these days, including Denverites. And now, more data centers are popping up across the country, thanks in part to the AI revolution. But some cities are stemming the tide, including Madison, Wisconsin, who recently passed a one-year moratorium on new data center construction. City Cast CEO David Plotz feels strongly that this was the wrong choice! He’s sitting down with...

AI tech giant Palantir moved its HQ from Denver to Miami this week, notifying the world via a single tweet. Was this abrupt relocation in response to ongoing protests outside its Denver office or Colorado’s first-in-the-nation AI bill or something else entirely? Political commentator Adrian Felix joins producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to dig into the controversial company’s departure, pl...

Love it or hate it, TABOR — the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — has an ongoing impact on how Colorado handles our taxes. Every few years, an initiative comes along to change this constitutional amendment — like this November, when voters could be deciding whether or not to raise taxes on the rich — but they generally fail. Could this be the one that breaks through? Host Bree Davies sits down with Paul...

A new bill at the state legislature has got Denverites talking — is it time for Colorado to decriminalize prostitution? Poet Suzi Q. Smith joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to look at precedents in Maine and Nevada, and some of the arguments against. Plus, we saw some rumors that the fancy grocery chain Erewhon might be opening in RiNo, the mayor seems to be reconsidering Flock, and...

Today we’re opening up the mailbag! Host Bree Davies and producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi hear from listeners about everything from security concerns on RTD buses and trains to mayoral candidate Lisa Calderón’s criticisms of Mayor Mike Johnston’s homelessness plan. Plus, Paul responds to some criticism about his recent comments on Rocky Flats, Bree gets a mall food court recommendatio...

All eyes have been on the Twin Cities lately, including Denverites’. Operation Metro Surge is reportedly ending in Minnesota, with the withdrawal of immigration agents expected over the next week. Over the last two months, though, residents of the Twin Cities have organized a range of local collective action efforts including protests, mutual aid, and monitoring ICE — and they’ve done it quickly....

For the first time in 26 years, the Underground Music Showcase will not be taking over South Broadway this summer — but when it moves to RiNo, would the fest lose its cool factor? And will it still be a showcase of local acts or become something more corporate? Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love talk through the what-ifs with Shawn King, drummer of DeVotchka, who headlined the first...

Thanks to multiple bond packages, the Sloan’s Lake Boathouse is getting a $7 million makeover and the lake itself is set to receive $5 million in ecological restoration.  But will that be enough to save it? For years, Sloan’s Lake has struggled with low water levels, leading to a toxic algae bloom that threatens the ecological future and public use of this popular body of water. We’re revisiting t...

From gaining Michelin star status to collecting a bounty of James Beard Awards, Denver’s culinary profile keeps rising. But beyond decorated chefs, all star meals, and international media attention lies a low-key secret to the Mile High’s dining out success — a well-designed restaurant. Award winning architect Kevin Nguyen grew up in Aurora and has been the mind behind the look and feel of spots l...

2025 was potentially the final year of the Underground Music Showcase — ticket sales were down, money was tight, and the future of the fest was uncertain. But the RiNo Business Improvement District stepped in, Youth On Record sold its share, and now the fest will live in RiNo. Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love discuss this new era and potential vibe shift for the 25 year-old event,...

Lisa Calderón thinks Denver is in trouble, and she wants to save it. Last week, the activist and professor of criminal justice announced a bid for mayor in 2027 — her third time running for the position. Lisa sits down with host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about how she would balance the city’s budget issues, what she believes Mayor Johnston has gotten wrong about housing and hom...

Denverites want more affordable housing, but can they agree on how to make it happen? A couple members of YIMBY Denver have a proposal to “upzone” broad swaths of the city to allow more duplexes and triplexes, and their proposal could hit our ballots in November. So, what will Denver decide? RTD Board Director Chris Nicholson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about the futur...