Dana Crawford initiated the preservation and redevelopment of Larimer Square in downtown Denver, Colorado, in 1965. In 1963, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority planned demolition of the 1400 block of Larimer Square as part of an effort to build a more impressive Denver skyline. Dana developed Larimer Square into a shopping area that became Denver's first historic district in 1971. Her belief that old cities can be livable has proven instrumental in her mission of preservation in Colorado for a career that has spanned over four decades. In 1995, Dana Crawford was awarded the National Trust for Historic Preservation award. In 2011, The Crawford Hotel in Denver's newly redeveloped Union Station was named in her honor.