Town of Nederland Comprehensive Plan Update
SE Group partnered with the Town of Nederland to update its Comprehensive Plan, charting a resilience-based course for the community’s future. Nestled in Colorado’s Front Range, Nederland is a town with deep mining roots, a creative spirit, and a strong sense of place. This plan builds on those qualities to address modern challenges such as housing affordability, climate change, and sustainable growth while preserving the town’s rustic mountain character.
Planning for a Resilient Future
The 2025 Comprehensive Plan reflects Nederland’s evolution into a forward-thinking mountain community. Rooted in the town’s core values of sustainability, resilience, affordability, and small-town character, the plan organizes recommendations around four resilience pillars: health and wellbeing, economy and society, infrastructure and ecosystems, and leadership and strategy.
The Challenge
Nederland is experiencing the pressures of growth that many mountain communities face: rising housing costs, infrastructure limitations, and the growing effects of climate change. The Town needed a plan that could balance these realities with the community’s values of independence, creativity, and environmental stewardship. The challenge was to create a framework that supports both people and place, enabling Nederland to thrive in the face of social and environmental change without losing the identity that makes it special.
The Impact
The 2025 Comprehensive Plan provides Nederland with a cohesive roadmap for sustainable growth and community resilience. By emphasizing affordability, inclusivity, and environmental stewardship, the plan equips the town to navigate future challenges while preserving its unique mountain identity. Its integrated approach to land use and downtown revitalization ensures that Nederland continues to be a vibrant, creative, and resilient community for generations to come.
SE Group’s Role
SE Group led the planning process in close collaboration with the Town of Nederland, its Planning Commission, and local partners, including Fehr & Peers and StudioSeed. The team engaged the community through open houses, surveys, and workshops to define a shared vision for Nederland’s future. The process also included the creation of a Downtown Subarea Plan, developed in partnership with StudioSeed, to guide the look, feel, and functionality of the community’s historic core.
The planning effort integrated land use, housing, transportation, and hazard mitigation strategies, all viewed through a resilience lens. The plan’s comprehensive framework helps Nederland respond to climate pressures, infrastructure needs, and social equity challenges while maintaining the authentic character residents value most.
Services Provided
- Comprehensive planning
- Community engagement and facilitation
- Downtown subarea planning
- Land use and policy analysis
- Resilience and hazard mitigation planning
- Collaboration with regional and local partners
