Boulder planning official Driskell resigns, takes Portland job

BOULDER — David Driskell, executive director of planning, housing and sustainability for the city of Boulder, on Friday announced his resignation, effective Dec. 9. Driskell will become sustainable development strategist for the city of Portland, Ore.

Driskell will help lead initiatives to shape next steps in Portland’s development, as well as support the continued integration of sustainability principles in the city’s planning work, according to a city of Boulder press release.

“It was almost eight years ago that I came to Boulder for a day-long ‘meet-and-greet’ with the community,” Driskell said in a prepared statement. “It became clear in the first half of the day that Boulder is a stunning place, and that the organization and community are filled with smart, talented, genuine people who make a difference, every day, in Boulder and in the broader world. It’s been an amazing and fulfilling journey.”

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Boulder city manager Jane Brautigam said Driskell had been “instrumental in transitioning city planning into the Planning, Housing and Sustainability Department and in shaping how Boulder approaches sustainable development and our efforts toward affordable housing. Under his leadership, Boulder has taken its climate and energy policy and planning to a new level, developed new strategies for affordable housing, and undertaken significant redevelopment initiatives to create new housing opportunities and support our economic vitality. He has also helped position Boulder as a national and international leader through our work with groups like the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network.”

Driskell has been involved in some of Boulder’s largest undertakings in recent years, including:

• Leading the integration of the city’s sustainability and housing departments with the planning department.
• Helping define goals and vision for municipalization of the city’s electrical service, dubbed “Boulder’s Energy Future.”
• Helping guide implementation of the Transit Village Area Plan, now called Boulder Junction, to create an emerging transit-oriented neighborhood.
• Helping develop the vision and master plan for revitalization of the Boulder Civic Area.
• Partnering with the University of Colorado Boulder and the Boulder Valley School District to create the Growing Up Boulder initiative to engage young people in community design and planning.

Boulder will conduct a national search for the next planning director, according to the press release. Prior to the search, it will gather community input to help inform the recruitment process and plans to host a meet-and-greet with candidates in early 2017.