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Is Downtown Phoenix a Recession Ghost Town?

I haven’t mentioned downtown Phoenix for a while. This is mainly because I’ve been busy re-discovering Vancouver and haven’t had much time to reflect on my old stomping ground. However, last week, I received an email from an old acquaintance that I haven’t been able to ignore.

So for may Phoenix readers, here’s one more post for old times sake; and apologies if I channel a bit too much Jon Talton. For my new Vancouver readers, here’s a little education in Arizona urbanism.

Life in the Urban Desert

One of my biggest frustrations living in Phoenix was the sheer number of empty lots and vacant building in the downtown core. No matter how much we tried to make a foothold in the desolation, we were simply overwhelmed by the scale of our task; if not outright rejected.

Based on a ‘back of the napkin’ tally, over 40% of Phoenix’s core is either vacant or a surface parking lot. This is more than most Rust Belt cities, including Detroit. Indeed the entire city of Detroit could fit into just the vacant lots in Phoenix! Yet while the decay of the Rust Belt is a national tragedy, the decay of downtown Phoenix is business as usual.

Making matters worse, the picture below was once a neighbourhood filled with historic—if rundown—homes. But instead of promoting their restoration and rehabilitation, the city cleared the area. The are was first cleared to make room for a fool hardy idea attract a NFL football stadium. The stadium eventually ended up in suburban Glendale. More recently, they have promised a ‘Bio-science Campus that has failed to gain much traction. In the meantime, downtown Phoenix is left with one of the biggest urban scars in North America.

Just south of this picture sits yet another parking lot. It was recently created by the City of Phoenix and Arizona State University on the site of a vintage mid-century hotel. Despite a concerted effort—and even a lawsuit—the powers than be decided that Phoenix needed yet more parking, leaving community members literally stewing on the dusty asphalt.

In cities like Detroit, people are taking advantage of the depressed real estate prices to incubate small businesses. In Phoenix—the epicenter of the real estate industrial complex—property owners, including the city, are sitting on their lots. They are waiting for the real estate market to rebound enough to cover their investment. They’d be better of waiting for Godot. if there is any hope for downtown Phoenix to rise again, they need to cut their losses and move on.

I hate to see downtown Phoenix criticized. Especially because so many people are working diligently to make it their oasis in a urban desert. But sometimes a city needs a slap in the face to wake up and realize their dire straights. Perhaps this dubious distinction from The Fiscal Times is it:

9 Worst Recession Ghost Towns in America: Downtown Phoenix, AZ

Is Downtown Phoenix a Recession Ghost Town?

Downtown Phoenix, AZ

Before the housing market crash, an acre in downtown Phoenix was selling for about $90 a square foot. Today, it sells for $9 a square foot. Empty dirt lots checker the area, where developers once dreamed of high-rise condos and office buildings, and many businesses have closed their doors.

Residents hope building will happen again once the market recovers, but in the meantime neighborhood organizers push for temporary fixes to the eyesore, like planting sunflowers and projecting movies onto the side of existing buildings.

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Stretched to the Limits: The Unexpected Costs of Sprawl (Weekend Watch)

As part of their Blueprint America series PBS visited Queen Creek (a suburb of Phoenix) to profile a family living through the recession in a new suburb:

As they post-mortem the housing crisis, policy makers are increasingly putting transportation costs under the microscope. Blueprint America visits the car-dependent suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona to learn about how transportation costs are making it harder for families to hold on to the American Dream.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

From the transcript:

“First stop: 25 minutes to Mesa, to unload the boys at grandma’s house

20 minutes later, they reach Scottsdale, where Laura lets Tony off in time for his six AM shift as a security guard in a hospital.

“It’s another 15 minutes to Tempe, where Laura works in administration at Arizona State University . After a full day’s work, they’ll do the whole thing in reverse in the afternoon…round trip that’s about 120 miles a day . . .”

“. . .it’s at least about two and a half, two hours. Depending on traffic and stuff.”

HT to Kaid Benfield

Stretched to the Limits: The Unexpected Costs of Sprawl (Weekend Watch)

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New Urbanist Leader Andrés Duany is Coming to Phoenix

I received word this week that one of the leaders of the new urbanist movement, Andrés Duany, is coming to Phoenix next month. While I don’t agree with everything that Duany has done, or the entire new urbanist movement, I am excited to hear him speak. He as close to an ‘urbanist’ rock star as you can get these days.

About Andrés Duany

Andrés Duany and his wife, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, founded Duany Plater Zyberk & Company (DPZ) in 1980. DPZ became a leader in the national movement called the New Urbanism, which seeks to end suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment.

Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. Image: Simon Hare

The firm received international recognition in the 1980s as the designer of Seaside, Florida and Kentlands, Maryland. Duany also led the development of comprehensive municipal zoning ordinances that prescribe urban plans for a variety uses and densities.

Duany Bio (pdf)

Duany in Phoenix

The Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory (PURL) and the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University (ASU) are hosting two lectures by Duany on Wednesday, October 13:

Agrarian Urbanism

The first lecture will take place at ASU Tempe’s Memorial Union 230, Pima Auditorium (map) at 9:00 am:

In this lecture, Andrés Duany will introduce the theory of Agrarian Urbanism, based on examples of communities that have been and are being constructed around the growing of food. Included will be an historical overview of the incorporation of growing food in post-industrial agricultural communities, including the more recent work of progressive cities like Vancouver.

Planning for the 21st Century

The second lecture, will take place that afternoon at PURL (234 N. Central Ave, 8th fl. (map)) at 2:00 pm

In this lecture, Andrés Duany will challenge us to look at the future of American cities in a new light. How do the current crises of global recession and climate change affect how we design and build cities? Sprawl is the least sustainable growth pattern, yet it still represents a major portion of the built environment – how will we adapt, repair, and rebuild it? Duany will propose new ideas and innovative strategies for rebuilding sustainable communities in the 21st century.

Event flyer (pdf)

These lectures are free and open to the public. However, seating is limited. So if you are interested in attending, I urge you to RSVP to aaron.rothman@asu.edu soon as I expect it will fill up fast.

New Urbanist Leader Andrés Duany is Coming to Phoenix

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From Car Spaces to People Places: PARK(ing) Day is returning to Phoenix

PARK(ing) Day is returning to downtown Phoenix on Friday, September 17th. Building on the success of last years efforts, I have gathered several community members, neighborhood leaders and urbanites who are ready to step up to the curb, put a quarter in the meter, and transform curbside metered parking spots into temporary public parks.

When they do, they will join artists and activists all over the globe for PARK(ing) Day 2010. This annual, one-day event promotes green and public spaces in the urban core. It helps people rethink the way we use our streets and creates diverse conversations about how we can make sustainable cities. This concept of PARK(ing) Day is that putting money into a parking meter is like renting a public space.

History of PARK(ing) Day

Since its founding in San Francisco in 2005, PARK(ing) Day has blossomed into a worldwide grassroots movement: PARK(ing) Day events have included more than 500 “PARK” installations in more than 100 cities on four continents, including PARK installations in South Africa, Poland, Norway, New Zealand and South Korea.

“Urban inhabitants worldwide recognize the need for new approaches to making the urban landscape,” says John Bela of Rebar, the San Francisco design agency that founded the effort.

PARK(ing) Day demonstrates that even temporary or interim spatial reprogramming can improve the character of the city.

Over PARK(ing) Day’s history, participants have broadened the scope of PARK installations to fulfill a range of unmet social needs. “From public parks to free health clinics, from art galleries to demonstration gardens, PARK(ing) Day participants have claimed the metered parking space as a rich new territory for creative experimentation, activism, socializing and play,” says Rebar‘s Blaine Merker.

While PARK(ing) Day may be temporary, the image of possibility it offers has lasting effects and is shifting the way streets are perceived and utilized.

PARK(ing) Day Phoenix is an opportunity to create community, engage the public and begin a dialogue on topics ranging from city parks and public space to the environment to mobility options and community improvement projects. Well-known urban activist and author Jane Jacobs wrote in The Death and Life of Great American Cities that, to create a safe, prosperous and worth living in, one must start with “lively and interesting streets.”

Calling all Urbanites!

3931384731 70551d5e9c m From Car Spaces to People Places: PARK(ing) Day is returning to Phoenix

Image by YuriArtibise via Flickr

All Phoenicians are invited to get creative and join the effort—for an hour or two, or all day if you’d like. All you need to do is come up with ideas for a ‘temporary park,’ gather items to fit that theme, invite your friends to take part, and show up ready to be part of the movement.

To help kick-start your efforts, theme ideas include a mini-dog park, a yoga space, a place to hang while you eat breakfast or chat with friends over coffee. Be sure to bring enough change to plug the meters!

Last year, we set up along First Street south of Fillmore, handed out breakfast goodies, blew bubbles, drank coffee, hung out in comfy chairs, adorned their spaces with plants, university memorabilia and other comforts of a park. We made new friends and transformed the urban experience, if even for just a few hours.

This year I will be part of a team who will be setting up on Adams Street, between Central and 1st Ave (next to Light Rail and next to Baja Fresh, Coney Island and Thai Elephant) (map). If you are living in Phoenix, I hope you can stop by and support us. Or, better yet, get your friends, business or organization together and create your own PARK(ing) space!

So far, we have several groups other groups interested in participating. The University of Arizona College of Medicine, the Downtown Phoenix Partnership Ambassadors and an Arizona State University “Art Action” team will be setting up their own spots in downtown Phoenix. On Adams St, we will be joined by the CO+HOOTS co-working crew; a ‘political park’; and several other people who will be hanging out with us.

We’ll be doing it first thing in the morning (7-10am), to avoid the mid-day heat, so feel free to stop by on he way to work!

Find Out More

I have have set up a Facebook Fan Page and a separate Event Page for RSVPs.

The press release is HERE.

For more details on PARK(ing) Day in general, visit www.ParkingDay.org.

Also feel free to contact me directly.

Park(ing) Day and Climate Branding (worldchanging.com)

From Car Spaces to People Places: PARK(ing) Day is returning to Phoenix

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Placemaking and Pioneering in Downtown Phoenix

On Monday, I was invited to take part in Arizona State University’s Barrett’s Urban Experience. BUE is a 4-day intensive introduction to downtown Phoenix for Barrett Honors College freshmen enrolled in programs at ASU Downtown. After participating last year, I was asked to make another presentation on “Placemaking and Phoenix.”

Here is a copy of my presentation:

Overall, the 4 day program provided a good overview of what living in downtown Phoenix is all about. Highlights include a public art tour, a trip to the Downtown Public Market (including a discussion about community food by Maya Daily of Maya’s Farm), a talk about Local First, and a tour of Roosevelt Row, among other things.

Unfortunately, a planned visit to Grand Ave was quashed by the bureaucrats in the ASU Office of Student Engagement due to safety and security concerns. However, Barrett students will get a second chance to check out the vibrant neighborhood during the Grand Avenue Festival on September 25, 2010.

This year, local architect and good friend Taz Loomans joined me. We were supposed to share the morning with Tony Arranaga, the Light Rail Blogger. Tony was going to take the students on a light rail tour. Alas Tony fell ill that morning and Taz and I fileld in for him. While I’m sure that we didn’t do Tony justice, we did manage to show them a few of our favorite haunts along light rail, including a stop at Lux for a refreshing lemonade.

When we made it back downtown, we gathered at the Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory (PURL)—probably my favorite space in Phoenix—to give our talks. During my presentation, I realized that the 1,100 ASU students living at Taylor Place represent a significant percentage of the 6,000-8,000 residents of the downtown core. More importantly, they represent an even bigger part of the ‘creative class’ that downtown is so eager to cultivate.

As a result of their sheer presence, these students have become ‘urban pioneers’ whether they like it or not. Their very presence will help shape the services and types of businesses, entertainment and public spaces in our city’s downtown core. (It isn’t a mere coincidence the Mill Ave was once the urban hub of the Valley, at least until the chains moved in).

This is a fact that is too often overlooked, by not only the developers but also the mayor and city government. Instead of meeting the needs of existing residents, these so-called leaders are futilely trying to attract suburbanites and their sales tax dollars by mimicking the corporate schlock that is readily available elsewhere in the Valley. (Again, Mill Ave shows the danger of corporatizing an urban environment).

The good side is that these student genuinely seem happy attending classes in downtown (several noted that they specifically chose to attend programs at the downtown campus over ones in Tempe). The majority have spent their entire lives in small towns our suburban environments and are looking forward to being able to actively participate in urban life.

Be sure to check out Taz’s account of the event. she has some very similar observations, not surprising since we were there together!

Light Rail runnin’ (tdhurst.com)
Urban Thinking (yuriartibise.com)
Let’s Hear It For Phoenix (jennifermaggiore.com)

Placemaking and Pioneering in Downtown Phoenix

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Community Involvement

In April 2011, I spoke at TEDxScottsdale on some of my community involvement in Phoenix. Here is what i had to say:

STAFF WRITER

SPACING VANCOUVER

JUL 11-Present

Spacing Vancouver is the latest addition to Spacing’s online network and provides a west coast take on the issues affecting our shared urban landscape. My activities include:

Write feature articles, book reviews and event announcements for Spacing Vancouver, a web-based publication
Manage the Spacing Vancouver Twitter account.

LEAD BLOGGER

SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB VANCOUVER

MAY 11-Present

SMCYVR is the local chapter of the worldwide Social Media Club organization. Their mission is to bring valuable presenters, new participants, and a business focus to build a business-focused social media organization that generates learning, friendships and opportunities for all of its members.

I create web content for the Social Media Club Vancouver website.
I also sit on the organization’s local executive board and aid in the organization of learning and social events.

COORDINATOR

JANE’S WALK PHOENIX

MAR 09-MAY 11

Jane’s Walk is an international series of neighborhood tours honoring the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs that combines the act of walking with personal observations, urban history and local lore as a means of community building through bottom-up approaches and neighborhood involvement.

I brought Jane’s Walk to Phoenix in 20099, by planning, promoting and coordinating the walk through downtown Phoenix. This includes developing a running a website, coordinating guides and speakers and promoting the event in the local media (both traditional and online)
Approximately 30 people participated in the inaugural 2009 walk. In 2010, this number increased to 80 people. Alongside the 2010 walk, I also held a Jane’s Talk to highlight the recently published book, What We See: Advancing the Observations of Jane Jacobs.
In April 2010, I was asked to join the Jane’s Walk USA team to help coordinate and promote events in Arizona.
Manage the Jane’s Walk Phoenix Twitter account and Facebook page.
My LinkedIn recommendations for Jane’s Walk Phoenix can be found here.

SOCIAL MEDIA SPEACIALIST

PROJECTING CHANGE FILM FESTIVAL (Vancouver, BC)

MAY 2011

Projecting Change is an innovative organization that focuses on promoting green and sustainable living through the use of entertaining & educational film. Through the strategic use of engaging films and inspiring speakers we aim to increase awareness and promote change within our local community. Through these efforts all profits are invested back into local initiatives.

I was part of the PR team who promoted the Projecting Change Film Festival by engaging people through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and the Projecting Change blog.
We also partnered with Social Media Club Vancouver to host a workshop on Projecting Change through Social Media on May 17th.

SPEAKER

TEDxSCOTTSDALE

APR 2011

The TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and people the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.

The theme of the evening was urban sustainability: What are we doing in this desert? How can the merely four million of us now here live here going forward? Why would we want to? What can we do about living here?
My presentation was entitled: “Cites ARE People.” A video is posted on YouTube. The slides are available on Slideshare.

COORDINATOR

PARK(ing) DAY PHOENIX

AUG 09-APR 11

PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens independently but simultaneously temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.

I staged events in downtown Phoenix in September 2009 and 2010, where we transformed several parking spaces into temporary urban respites.

CO-FOUNDER

PLACES, SPACES & FACES COMMUNITY DINNER

FEB 10-APR 11

There’s something special about sitting down over a meal and how it brings people together and forms a special bond between them. That is why I helped found a monthly community potluck dinner in central Phoenix.

Each month PSF visits a unique space in the city and share our favorite dishes and stories about each other and the place that we are in.
The event grew from a small gathers of 20 people into an event with up to 100 people participating each month.

PRESIDENT

GRANDVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

JAN 10-DEC 10

The Grandview Neighborhood is a diverse central Phoenix neighborhood of about 1,200 people in 850 residences. The association is a voluntary body of concerned neighbors who help promote safety, security and quality-of-life issues for all members of our community.

Duties include chairing monthly board and community meetings, overseeing fundraising and the association budget, meeting with the adjacent neighborhoods and businesses and acting as a contact point to the city for neighbourhood concerns.

ADVISORY BOARD

CANALSCAPE

DEC 08 – JUL10

The Canalscape initiative explores the possibility of an authentic and sustainable desert urbanism for the region, composed of urban cores and corridors distributed along the canal banks.

I attended regular board meetings to offer direction to the project team.
also participated in a joint ASU/University of Colorado-Denver workshop developing research and proposals to ‘re-imagine’ Phoenix’s canals between January and May 2009.

MEMBER

RADIATE PHOENIX

FEB 08 – APR 11

Radiate Phoenix is a monthly ‘non-traditional’ community networking group dedicated to place making, design and community building in central Phoenix. Each month, the group meets at a different local establishment and hears from a guest speaker who shares their story, ideas and vision for the shaping our community.

I assisted in the planning and promotion of these events.

RESEARCH COMMITTEE

MOVING AZ ONE REALITY CHECK

JUL 08 – JAN 10

The Moving AZ One Reality Check is a regional visioning exercise that is a key step in envisioning the future of Central Arizona. I was part of team that analyzed the results of the Urban Land Institute’s May 2008 Reality Check AZ.

I prepared communications material looking at the accuracy of Phoenix’s medium to long-term growth projection in light of the 2008/09 economic downturn.
I also planned the Reality Check Revisited event in May 2009 that took a more in-depth look at regional growth issues.

Click here to download my full resume (pdf).

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Crazy Curve gets Creative for Melrose Community Garden Project

The Seventh Avenue Merchants Association needs your help to make a community garden possible in the Melrose District. The Association has applied for a $250,000 grant from Pepsi Refresh. The grant money, with extra help from Clear Channel Communications, will create a community garden on a weed infested lot at the corner of 7th Ave. and Montecito—the heart of the m7 Curve.’ The design for the garden has already been achieved by combining community advice and student talent from the ASU School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

So far, the garden is doing well in voting, but not well enough. Out of 1341 ideas on the Pepsi site, the garden has been hovering around the rank of 140. It’s good, but only the 1st and 2nd ranked projects win the $250,000. The competition is tight and only a few votes separate the garden from the top two places.

The key to success lies with you and others who can vote on the Pepsi grant website. You can take action now and use the following link to vote for the Melrose Community Garden. Remember you can vote once per day between now and May 31st. In addition, pass the word on to their friends any family, wherever they may live. If they have a computer with internet access, they can vote.

Click Here to VOTE for the Melrose Community Garden Project

or use this link: http://www.refresheverything.com/M7project

Crazy Curve gets Creative for Melrose Community Garden Project

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DPJ Article: ASU—Connecting with its Community

Note: I will be speaking at this event as part of a worshop on “Reaching ASU Students: Effective Strategies to Promote Your Efforts.” The 45 minute workshop will start at 10:15 and be repeated at 11:00.

Originally posted in the Downtown Phoenix Journal on March 29, 2010.

The A.E. England Building in Civic Space Park

While Arizona State University’s relationship with its neighboring communities hasn’t always been the smoothest, the university is making a determined effort to improve it. Simply put, ASU seeks to become a fully integrated community member. One such way is through “Communities Connect Dialogues,” a new university collaborative designed to bring ASU together with the local community in the name of learning something new.

The Community Connect Dialogues allows faculty, staff, students and community members to share, connect and celebrate the spirit and diversity of ASU and its campuses. It is a collaborative effort coordinated by the Office of University Initiatives.

On April 1, ASU will hold the first of these dialogues at the Downtown Phoenix campus. It will take place at the A.E. England Building in Civic Space Park between 8 a.m. and noon. The event is free and open to everyone. The dialogue will continue April 2 with action, advocacy and arts, a day filled with gallery exhibitions, art activists and special guests. Subsequent events are being scheduled at the ASU West, Polytechnic and Tempe campuses.

According to Jacqueline Smith, university innovation fellow with the Office of University Initiatives, ASU is “hoping to provide a venue for participants to share their stories about collaboration and bettering our communities.”

The Downtown Phoenix campus dialogue will begin with a coffee meet-up, presentations and a photo display of examples of collaboration from local organizations such as Greater Phoenix Youth at Risk and the Herberger Institute Community School for Design and the Arts. Participants will then engage in internship development and marketing strategies workshops before heading outside to the Civic Space Park for Lunch Unplugged, hosted by RadioPhoenix.org.

Laci Lester, a core member of the Downtown planning team and a second-year public ally serving at the Fair Trade retail store in Civic Space Park notes, “Both communities and institutions have so much to learn from each other and the dialogues are a great place to begin. We’re hoping people will come away with a greater understanding of the nuances of working with community organizations and larger institutes, such as ASU.”

The Arizona State Credit Union is serving as primary co-sponsor on all four campuses by providing refreshments, door prizes and marketing supplies. Other partners include the College of Public Programs, the Office of Public Affairs, the Office of Student Engagement, ASU Career Services and the Cultural Arts Coalition.

For detailed information about the Communities Connect Dialogues, included a schedule of activities, please visit community.asu.edu/dialogues. To RSVP for the events, visit community.asu.edu/rsvp/ or contact Jacqueline Smith.

The Passion(less) of the IgnitePhx (attendees) (tdhurst.com)
‘Schelling’ the City (yuriartibise.com)
10 Reasons Why Civic Space Park Doesn’t Work (yuriartibise.com)

DPJ Article: ASU—Connecting with its Community

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Rethinking the Ramada: A Modest Proposal

Last week I wrote a post criticizing ASU’s and the City of Phoenix’s decision to replace the landmark Sahara Motor Inn (aka Ramada Inn) with a parking lot. In addition to the other blog posts that I previous mentioned (and a subsequent new post), this short-sighted decision was the topic of discussion at last Saturday’s Downtown Voices Coalition meeting. This discussion led to a letter from Steve Weiss to the Mayor, City Council, ASU, City Staff, ASU Staff and the citizens of Phoenix. Additionally the AZ Republic has caught wind of the opposition.

The Sahara Motor Inn in it’s prime.

After having some time to think about it, I cam to the conclusion that the best defense of the building is a good offense. Instead of simply objecting to the proposed demolition, I have come up with a proposed alternative that speaks to the state mission of goals of both ASU and the City of Phoenix.

Rather than thinking of the Sahara/Ramada as a dilapidated hotel, why not think in more dynamic terms? With a little bit of patience and creative thinking, the hotel could be a space that fosters the ideas of tomorrow as an incubator for social innovators and local enterprises. This would be a concrete manifestation of ASU’s commitment to social embeddedness and the City of Phoenix’s commitment to a livelier, more integrated and sustainable downtown.

Such a social incubator could include the following uses:

Work.

The various hotel rooms could easily be transformed into work spaces for social entrepreneurs to develop new companies and community organizations. They could be offered on various lease terms, including yearly, monthly weekly or even hourly, depending on the needs of the entrepreneurs.

The spaces could target ASU students, alumni and downtown community members, whether they be freelancers, visitors, part-time activists or full-time innovators. These space would be rented at low rates; just enough to cover the cost of utilities and other basic operating costs, such as wifi, security, cleaning and shared office equipment. They could also be sponsored by local foundations and through donations from business and corporate entities.

Meet.

The larger spaces in the hotel could transformed into a variety of meeting and event spaces for the social entrepreneurs mentioned above, as well as ASU and the downtown community. These spaces would allow these social creatives to learn, connect and create in a dynamic shared environment.

They could host events ranging from non-profit board meetings to alumni book launches as well as a variety of networking and media events. Again, these spaces could be rented to covered basic operating costs or supported through sponsorship opportunities.

Connect.

Perhaps most importantly, the biggest spaces such as the old restaurant could be used as a ‘creative community center.’ It could offer a range of planned activities from open dialogue debates and capacity-building workshops. The space would allow creative people to ‘plug-in to the larger community and connect, converse, learn and create.

One model for this connecting space is PieLab, an innovative community space in Greensboro, Alabama that provides pie and coffee, as well as retail and hospitality job training for local youth. Thus as well as being a coffee shop, it operates ‘as a community design center’ focusing on community development projects and small business incubation.

Recreate.

The pool area could be used as a space for tenants and community members to unwind and socialize. It could also be rented to community groups for events or even used as an outdoor all ages nightclub for ASU students and local youth, generating money for maintenance and operations. a cafe or restraint could be attached to it, perhaps connected to a ‘PieLab’ type kitchen facility.

This is not simply a ‘pie’ in the sky idea. It is based on a very real and successful enterprise in another city. For more information on a similar model of community innovation, check out the Center for Social Innovation in Toronto, Canada.

This is a single concept that I have come up with on my own and with minimal research. Surely with a bit of effort, the combined minds of ASU, city staff and the community, we can come up with something even more creative and fitting for downtown Phoenix.

At the very least, we can come up with something more worthy than a parking lots and a vague promise of a ASU building in the not so foreseeable future.

Dumb and Dumber: The City of Phoenix and ASU (yuriartibise.com)
CityScape: Suburbanizing Downtown Phoenix (yuriartibise.com)

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Dumb and Dumber: The City of Phoenix and ASU

Phoenix is about to lose another historic gem. It is a story we have heard dozens, if not hundreds of times before. This time however, the antagonist isn’t a greedy developer or out-of-state company, but our very own city government and state university.

The Hotel in its Heyday

As a former ASU employee, I have long known about ASU’s take no prisoners approach to expansion that over ruled any stated interests in sustainability or community engagement. I had hopes that the new city management and the City’s stated commitment to a vibrant downtown were more the mere window dressing. I was wrong.

Together ASU and the City of Phoenix are about to do something that would make even the most Machiavellian developer blush – raze a historic hotel in the middle of our city, and replace it with a parking lot. For more information on the back-story, and the history (and potential) of the site, please read this passionate post by my friend Rachel Dawn Luptak. For a more concise overview, check out this post that Seth Anderson managed to sneak by the typically boosterish editors at DowntownPhoenix.com

Like Seth, I may have been sympathetic if it was to replace it with a vibrant new project, but no, in their infinite wisdom, ASU and the City of Phoenix have decided that what downtown needs is yet another parking lot. Sure, there are long-term plans to build a law school on the site, but there are no firm plans. Downtown is already littered with empty lots, razed to make way for well intended yet never realized projects. Why not use one of them instead?

Also, what is wrong with encouraging multimodal transportation such as light rail? There is a station less than a block away that to service the ASU downtown campus. this system connected to hundreds of park & ride spaces, where people can park for free and ride into downtown for cheaper that a downtown parking spot.

Dumb

ASU is supposed to be committed to sustainability. They boast about the LEED certifications awarded to the new nursing and journalism buildings, yet want to destroy a landmark hotel for a parking lot. Surely with all the supposed sustainability expertise they have amassed they would have learned that the greenest building is the one already built.

Dumber

The City of Phoenix has listed ‘Dense City Core as one of it’s visions for their General Plan Update. Why then are they allowing the demolition of an existing building when there are already plenty of empty lots in the immediate vicinity? Are they really that siloed in their thinking?

What Can We Do?

While the City is telling us that this project is a done deal, I’m not giving up hope. I’ll join the fight to get the city and ASU to reverse this asinine decision. It may be late in the process, but until the wrecking ball dislodges the first brick, there is still hope. Please join me:

Start by leaving your ideas for adaptive reuses for this building. The most effective opposition contain reasonable alternatives. Lets give them some.

Write letters or emails letters expressing you opposition to the proposed demolition to Mayor Gordon and City Council members. Also let the ASU administration know of your displeasure, particularly President Michael Crow and ASU Downtown Vice President, Dean Debra Freidman.

Attend this Saturday’s (March 13^th) meeting of the Downtown Voices Coalition, where there will be a discussion on strategies to reverse City Council and ASU’s decision and keep the building for more creative uses. The meeting runs from 9:30-11:30 at the 9:30 a.m. at the Roosevelt Commons meeting room, 825 N. 6th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85003.