Purpose Hour
A monthly gathering where bold ideas meet community insight to spark inspiring conversations and civic action for Colorado’s future.
September Purpose Hour
By Design: Rethinking American Roads
Every road, intersection, and curb in our city was designed by someone, but probably not with you in mind. This month's Purpose Hour pulls back the curtain on how our streets got built, why they're failing us, and what it would look like to actually choose differently.
We drive, walk, and bike our streets every day but most of us have never stopped to ask: who decided our streets should look like this, and why?
Join us for a conversation about the hidden assumptions baked into our infrastructure, the real costs of building cities around cars and speed, and what's possible when communities start making different choices.
This Month's Featured Speaker
Wes Marshall
Professor, University of Colorado-Denver
Author, Killed By A Traffic Engineer
University of Colorado-Denver professor and author Wes Marshall has spent his career studying American road design, and his conclusion is uncomfortable: the system isn't broken, it's working exactly as designed.
- Over 39,000 people died from traffic related fatalities in 2024, of those 7,080 were pedestrian fatalities, a 72% increase since 2009. [source: Fatality Facts 2024: Pedestrians & Fatality Facts 2024: State by State]
- Traffic fatalities increased over 20% from 2013 to 2022, while global peer nations experienced a median decrease of 19.4%. [source: CDC Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report]
- In Colorado, pedestrian fatalities have increased 161% in the last decade and 77% since 2018. Last year, 136 people were killed by drivers while walking or crossing the street. [source: CDOT News Release]
Event Details & Schedule
Event Details
Date:
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Location:
Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver
Program Support Center
2017 W 9th Ave.
Denver, CO 80204
Schedule
4:00-4:30 p.m. Connection & Conversation
4:30-5:50 p.m. Speaker Program
5:50-6:30 p.m. Connection & Conversation
Appetizers and drinks will be served throughout the evening.
Join us for Purpose Hour in March
March 5th, 3:30 - 6:30pm @ Club CiviCO
About Purpose Hour
A monthly event where conversation meets impact.
Each Purpose Hour brings together Coloradans for thought-provoking dialogue on the complex issues facing our communities. Through featured speakers or panels (ranging from grassroots leaders to systems thinkers) we dive into what’s working and what’s possible for Colorado. These aren’t lectures, they’re a launching pad for building community, creating connections, and inspiring civic action.
Purpose Hour is a space to listen deeply, ask questions, and explore new perspectives. Come for the insights, stay for the community, and together we’ll creating space for shared learning and purpose-driven action that builds a better Colorado.
Sponsors & Partners
We are grateful to the organizations whose support makes each Purpose Hour possible.
