'Meet In The Street' Brings Positive Activity To The 16th Street Mall

DENVER (CBS4) - Sporadic violence on the 16th Street Mall has led to more changes. The city and business community want the mall to be more people friendly -- and that's what Meet in the Street is all about.

Those who want to stop the rough stuff on the mall, and the downtown business organizations certainly do, need to flood the mall with people -- good people and lots of children.

"What we found is the more positive activity you bring to a space, the safer everyone feels, and the more comfortable everyone feels," Brea Olson with the Downtown Denver Partnership said.

It also doesn't hurt to have a police presence. Bear Montes works in a mall store, and making the mall a more livable space is important to him.

"They need more police presence down here," Montes said. "More security people, like the Guardian Angels."

The Downtown Denver Partnership is attempting to reimagine the mall experience. That means carving out a quiet place to take a nap in the middle of the mall.

"We want to make the mall a destination place where people go to, instead of just a place people go through," Olson said.

One way to accomplish that is to ask visitors to write down what they want.

"Most people think we're going to ask them for money, so they start walking past," Jason Whitlock with Denver Planning and Development said. "Then we say, 'Hey, we really want your thoughts for the city of Denver.' And they turn around and come back."

The businesses love the tourists, but attracting Denver residents is crucial too.

"It's kind of cool how everyone is down here and we can be together as a society and really just have fun," Denver resident Marissa Ricci said.

The Downtown Denver Partnership on Monday will talk about more security plans for the mall.