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Mar 08

Dumb and Dumber: The City of Phoenix and ASU

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion View Comments

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.

Dumb and Dumber: The City of Phoenix and ASU

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.
  • Attend this Saturday’s (March 13th) 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.
  • Stay tuned to this blog. I will keep you posted of further developments and opportunities to engage.
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Mar 04

Sheeple vs Heretics

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Book Review, Opinion View Comments

The world is filled with Sheeple. People who blindly follow. People who don’t question. People who believe things ‘are the way they are’ and can’t change. Most people don’t even realize that they are ‘sheepwalking’ through live. They have been raised to be obedient, to play by the rules, get a stable job, go to church on Sundays and be happy with what they have.

Cover of "Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us&...

Cover of Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

Then there are the rest of us. Those of us who challenge authority. Who ask ‘why?’ when we encounter something that doesn’t make sense. Who present alternatives to the status quo. Chances are that if you’re reading this blog, I’m talking about you.  In his book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, Seth Godin describes people such as us as heretics. People who are willing to step outside the mainstream and lead.

As with most of what Seth writes, there isn’t much in this book that we don’t already know, at least on a subconscious level. We all have at one time or another felt restrained by the status quo and had a desire to change things. In fact many of us already lead tribes, even if we don’t always recognize ourselves as leaders.

Seth is a master at turning conventional concepts on their heads and presenting ideas in enlightening and refreshing new ways. The values of Tribes, therefore isn’t to tell us anything new, per se. Rather it is to package together things that people are already feeling and thinking and bring it to the forefront. It is meant to spur us to  action.

Like his thinking, Seth doesn’t write in a conventional way either. The book is broken into a series of brief discussions about ideas, almost like a series of blog posts. it is perfect for those of us lacking the time or attention span to delve deep into a text heavy tome. It’s perfect for reading before bed, or while waiting for a friend.

Tribes won’t change the world, but it may inspire you to change your small part of it.

Final Verdict: ****1/2. I highly recommended for anybody who thinks.

This is day 23 in my 28 Day Blogging Challenge. 5 days to go.

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Mar 03

A Call to Action

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion View Comments

your community needs you A Call to Action Yesterday I wrote about some of the strengths that Phoenix has, and how they can be building blocks for creating a great city. However, too many of us still look to the politicians, developers and civic organizations to arrange these building blocks and create new ones. Trouble is they keep squandering this responsibility by chasing after the next big block, instead of finding ways to pull together what we already have. Put another way, we have allowed city building to become so problematic, so institutionalized that it has been stripped of all but the most rudimentary citizen input.

Part of this is our own problem. We have sat back and watched the real estate industrial complex and kookocracy take over our city. We were  satisfied with the odd positive outcome and accepted their empty platitudes. Sure a few people have complained from the sidelines, a few more have attempted to get involved, and fewer still have been able to affect some positive change.  This makes the rest of us victims.  As Derek Neighbors has said “the biggest faux pas that creative class has made in downtown Phoenix is not getting involved in the right organizations and making an impact.”

If enough people do not care to do more than bitch among themselves; if enough people don’t have the passion to get involved, then there isn’t a platform for positive change to be build on. Sure we can stand around and joke about‘Kimber for Mayor’, but without a critical mass of ACTIVE supporters there isn’t much she can do, even as mayor. We all need to prove to our civic leaders that there is indeed a market, not only for denser downtown, but a vibrant downtown that is created by community input and involvement. We need to provide then with not only good ideas, but also the confidence to enact them.

The decision that are made today, were conceived months, if not years ago. They weren’t pulled out of thin air, but built and negotiated by city staff, developers, and business groups. Some of them may have been referred to a committee for consideration. By the time they reach the public, it is too late to do much more than smooth a few rough edges. If we want to affect sustained change, we need to have impact earlier in the decision making process.

Quite simply we need to GET INVOLVED. Instead of simply complaining, find an organization you would like to see changed (or influence change) and start attending their meetings. Try to get on their board od directors. At the city level, there are dozens of citizen based boards and committees, many with vacancies (Phoenix’s are listed here). Find one and apply to be on it. In the meantime, start attending your council district, neighborhood association and or HOA meetings and learn about what is going on and who the key influencers are.

Be warned that this won’t change things overnight. Those with the power wont hand it over because you attend a meeting or two. Real change takes perseverance and patience. The developers have it. This is why they are so often on the winning side. If we want to balance the tables, we need to have it as well. If we love our city, then a little effort put into making it better is a small price to pay. If enough of us get involved in a concerted way, I guarantee that real change WILL occur.

A Call to Action
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Mar 02

It’s Not ALL Bad

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion, Phoenix View Comments

Regular readers of this blog will notice that I’ve had several harsh words for Phoenix and it’s leader lately. It’s not that I dislike Phoenix. Quite the opposite. I’ve quickly grown to love much of the city and many of its people. It’s because of this love that I want to see my adopted city reach it’s potential.

I’ve long believed that excellence requires a constant search for improvement. If everyone thinks everything is perfect already, or are reluctant to criticize, then there is no impetus to improve. I’ve touched on this theme before.

However, as necessary as it is to point out where we need to improve, it is also important to highlight our successes. There are a lot of great things about Phoenix (otherwise I’d be long gone). The city is home to many world-class events and sites that are uniquely ‘Phoenix.’ Sure not all of these events are the best they could be, but they are building blocks to use to create a unique sense of place that many say is lacking.

hohokam It’s Not ALL Bad

An artistic rendering of Pueblo Grande in its prime (circa 1100-1450 AD)

Here are a few of the more prominent ones:

  1. The Heard Museum is not only one of Phoenix’s first cultural attractions, but also one of the world’s finest destinations for learning about American Indian arts and cultures. In addition, it is home to a world-acclaimed Indian Fair and Market that draws 20,000 visitors and more than 700 of the nation’s most outstanding and successful American Indian artists. If you haven’t been yet, now’s you chance. It’s occurring this weekend.
  2. Phoenix is home to the longest running (and likely largest) art walk in the country. Can you believe it’s been 22 years? This is also happening this weekend.
  3. What do Emma Stone, Max Crumm and Jordin Sparks have in common?  They all honed their skills at the Valley Youth Theater. VYT is a world-class, nationally recognized non-profit theater in our own back yard. They achieve their success by insisting on the same standards of excellence to its programs that apply to adult theater.
  4. The PF Chang Rock n’ Roll Marathon was first held in Phoenix in 2004. In just 5 years, it has become the largest same day marathon and half-marathon in the United States, With over 30,000 participants in 2009, Its unique format has been repeated in seven fourteen cities (and counting). Not bad for an event sponsored by a locally based company.
  5. At over 16,000 acres, South Mountain Park is the largest city park in the world. Yet this is but one of the amazing outdoor areas in the middle of our city. There is also Camelback, Piestewa and North Mountain Preserve in the center of the Valley, and other great natural amenities on the outskirts. As well, we have also have world-class urban parks like Encanto Park with was recently voted one of the best in the country, alongside such famous parks as New York City’s Central Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and Boston Commons.
  6. Phoenix is home to one of the longest (and oldest) canal systems in the world. Venice’s 125 miles of canals and Amsterdam’s 47 miles of canals make these cities European icons and postcard darlings. Meanwhile, Phoenix trumps both with 181 miles of canals, yet most people treat them like back alleys.  Check out the new Canalscape Exhibit at Phoenix City Hall from March 2nd to March 12th to learn more about their history and potential. The opening event is this Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 4pm.
  7. Our history is measured in millennium, not centuries like the east coast, or decades like many people seem to believe The Valley is among the longest inhabited region in the USA. The Hohokam began settling here around 1 AD. Learn more at the Pueblo Grande Museum on 44th St and Washington.

What is your favorite thing that is unique to the Phoenix?

This is day 21 in my 28 Day Blogging Challenge. 7 days to go.

It’s Not ALL Bad
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Feb 28

Proud to be a Zealous Nut

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion View Comments

Passion. It’s something that we all have.  Most of us want to share it. But when push comes to shove, we tend to shy away from it and become modest. We are afraid. We don’t want to too assertive, be thought of as crazy, be called out as a fake.

Why?  Who better to lead than someone passionate about the subject?  Sure we may not posses the most technical knowledge or be the most polished representative of an idea.   The fact that we care just a little too much isn’t a bad thing.  Rather, it means that we are quick learners and will soak up the necessary knowledge like a sponge.

More importantly, the fact that we live sleep, eat and breathe a specific topic means that, unlike the technical or academic ’professionals,’ our ideas will often be more practical. This can make our ideas more valuable and likely to be accepted by others. Passion is contagious. Who would you rather listen to: a staid technician droning on about mundane details, or a passionate, but well versed, amateur exclaiming why she’s excited about a subject?

Yes. Knowledge is important. Facts are essential. Without them you really will be just a crazy nut. But passion is the magic idea that turns a good idea into a great one. Passion converts an interesed observer into a active follower.

3631561173 5154cfbb6a Proud to be a Zealous NutPassion also breeds tenacity. Change takes time. It takes persistence. When technical experts may have moved on to their next big idea, a passionate person is willing to stick with their idea and see it through, regardless of the obstacles. A technical expert is the hare: knowledge comes easy, but this can breed complacency. A passionate person is like the tortoise: willing to stick by their idea, even when all hope seems lost.

The world is fundamentally changing, in a subtle but powerful way. The era of narrowly defined professionals dictating our future is ending. Instead, they are becoming resources for passionate people who can transform their facts and figures into contagious actions.

So don’t be shy of your passion. Be proud to be considered a zealous nut. I am.

For more on how passion can bring about improvements in your community, read: In Praise of Zealous Nuts

This is day 19 in my 28 Day Blogging Challenge. 9 days to go.


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Feb 27

Suicide Lanes Kill Communities

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion, Phoenix, urbanism View Comments

This is the text of a letter to the editor I wrote in June 2008.  It was in response to a  Arizona Republic article on a Phoenix City Council vote about eliminating the ‘reversible’ (aka suicide) lanes on 7th Ave and 7th St. I couldn’t keep quiet after reading the typical ignorant responses on the azcentral.com website.  So I wrote the letter below.  To my surprise, it was actually published in the print edition of the Republic (although not online).

Alas, this letter—and several others like it—did not have any effect.  Phoenix City Council deferred to the traffic engineers and north Phoenix residents and kept the suicide lanes in place for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, the problem remains.  With next week’s M7/Seventh Ave Street Fair focusing city-wide attention on this vibrant neighborhood, I thought it was a good time to dust of the letter and rekindle the debate again:

PHP48E9806492966 Suicide Lanes Kill Communities

Photo of Kurt Stickler, by Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic

The push to remove the ‘suicide lane’ is a no brainer. Traffic engineers can debate whether reverse lanes have increases accident counts, but there is no doubt that it has hurt local neighborhoods and small businesses along it’s path.

Historically, streets served as places where we stopped for conversation and children played. Today, they are now more the domain of cars than people. Even where sidewalks and streetscapes are present along high-speed streets, they feel inhospitable and out-of-place. This is especially true on 7th Ave that, with the reverse lane, can have up to four lanes traveling in one direction—hardly an environment conducive to local neighborhoods or businesses. While the City of Phoenix should be lauded for ongoing investments in the Melrose on 7th Ave streetscape, the reverse lane has undermined many of these efforts. This lane marks 7th Ave a thruway to and from other destinations rather than reinforcing surrounding areas on both sides of 7th avenue as places for residents to socialize and enjoy art, restaurants and small businesses that this neighborhood offers.

With the pending opening of the light rail, central Phoenix has already made large strides in rethinking the city’s relationship with cars and traffic. Removing the reverse lanes would be another sensible step in the City’s progression from a conventional transportation focus on the automobile to a recognition of the role of transportation in shaping places for everybody to enjoy, whether they are in cars or not.

Please let me know what you think in the comments.  If you agree with me and would like to see the reversible lanes removed, contact your City Councilor and ask that they revisit their short-sighted decision.  Be sure to cc district 4 Councilor Tom Simplot.  His district covers the ares most affected by the reversible lanes, including the Melrose Curve between Indian School and Camelback Rd.  If you happen to live in District 6 (Sal DiCiccio or District 3 (Bill Gates), where the reversible lanes are also present, your support would also be appreciated.

This is day 19 in my 28 Day Blogging Challenge. 9 days to go.


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Feb 25

Opportunity Mirage

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion, Phoenix View Comments
  • The Big Apple
  • Motor City
  • Beantown
  • City of Angels
  • The Big Easy
  • Opportunity Oasis

Who’s the odd one out here?

Most major cities in the world have a nickname or brand. They can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community. They can also promote civic pride; and build community unity. Nicknames that successfully capture a city’s “ideology or myth” are also believed to have economic value in some cases.

The Metro Phoenix Partnership for Arts and Culture has chosen ‘Opportunity Oasis’ for Phoenix on the recommendation of Arthesia, a Zurich and L.A. based consulting firm. On Tuesday I attended a public presentation of the current status of the branding strategy. In the room with the usual suits and powers that be were a few social media colleagues, including Derek Neighbors, Tyler Hurst, Francine Hardaway and Ward Andrews. We were not impressed.

The Opportunity Oasis concept is part of MPAC’s Metro Phoenix DNA strategy book (which, alas is not online, more than a year after being published can be downloaded here.)  It is based on three main ‘story ideas’: Urban Pioneers, Upscale Dessert Garden, and Open Space Thinking.  Sure, there is a certain bureaucratic appeal to the concept of Opportunity Oasis. (After all it was done by a top-notch firm paid big dollars to come up with appealing concepts): it is iterative, it rolls of the tongue, it represents optimism. The fact is, however, that it doesn’t reflect reality. Not even close. Sure marketing campaigns are aspirational, but this is stretching things too far.

10806 fireworks parking%20lot Opportunity Mirage
What I find ironic about this strategy is that the very name Phoenix was chosen as a brand for the region well over 100 years ago. It was chosen by Darrell Duppa to reflect that Phoenix is built on the ashes of past civilizationa. This is an apt metaphor that I’ll return to later.

Here is what I think when I hear the term: Opportunity Oasis.

Opportunity. Sure it is a cheap place to do business, if low ages and cheap rent are your only concerns. This is why WalMart is our #1 employer.

Oasis: Sure the Valley was once a desert oasis. It was first settled thousands of years ago on a fertile river crescent. Alas, over the past 50 years we have done everything to forget this. (Except for our golf courses and back lawns)

So yes Phoenix is an opportunity oasis if you have don’t need talented workforce, want cheap land, don’t need to connect with others on a regular basis, and like to play golf or mow lawns.

For the rest of us, Metro Phoenix is more of an Opportunity Mirage:

  • Instead of nurturing ‘Urban Pioneers’ we push aside those who have worked tirelessly on their business in favor of flashy new developers. We tell people with new ideas that they haven’t been here long enough to understand; we ignore worldviews that fall outside their engrained ways (ways that have led Phoenix into a constant boom and bust cycles.)
  • Instead of preserving our ‘Upscale Urban Garden,’ we bulldoze over the desert and replace it with red tiles roofs. We build McMansions up the side of our mountains. We turn our back on to our water sources (or make ‘fake lakes’ to entice developers.). We tear down historical building and put up Parking lot (apologies to Joni Mitchell)
  • Instead of promoting ‘Open Desert Thinking,’ we under fund our education system. We subsidize sprawl making it difficult to connect people with ideas. We let the Mormon Church and others of the ‘righteous right’ enforce their narrow social views on the rest of us.

Perhaps worst of all, we turn our backs on the very opportunities we seek. We are so amounted by attracting the shiny new firm, or any outsider for that matter, that we ignore the businesses that are growing under our nose.

The Way Out

Phoenix doesn’t need another marketing campaign or branding effort. We need live up to our name and rise from the ashes of our past bad decisions. Here some starting points:

  • Stop trying to lure the big fish. They don’t stick around for long (remember Google?) Low costs, government incentives and marketing campaigns are only a small part of the equation. Without focusing on the big things like talent and community, we are just creating a revolving door for business looking to exploit what we offer.
  • Stop the zero sum game of luring developers to build yet another retail epicenter to one Valley or another to enhance retail taxes takes. Instead look at ways to diversify our economy so we are not continually hit by real estate meltdowns. The current crisis was not the first, and won’t be the last. Instead of waiting for the cycle to start again, we need to find another cycle.
  • Focus on getting the fundamentals right. Re-think and re-balance our state tax system to be less dependent on high corporate taxes, even if it means individuals and property owners pay a bit more. Make sure that we offer a solid education system and natural and cultural offerings.  Invest in multi-modal transit to weave stronger connections between the various hubs in the Valley. This will make it easier for people AND their ideas to connect. THESE are what attract talented people and innovative businesses.

MPAC has it backwards: they came up with a marketing campaign first and are acting second. While the MPAC report admits that Phoenix has its flaws, instead of endeavoring to correct them, they want to gloss them over with flashy magazines, yet another website and faux ‘viral’ video competition, and the now requisite iPhone app (that still isn’t quite ready…) We’re told that this is the first part of a long, multi-year process. I suggest that they go back and reevaluate their strategy and help Metro Phoenix get the fundamentals right first. Otherwise their Opportunity Oasis will be seen, not as an authentic expression of what the Valley represents, but as an Opportunity Mirage solely designed to attract the latest business looking for concessions.

*     *     *

Post Script 1: To their credit,  Amy Heisler from MPAC has agreed to sit down and talk with me next week.  I’ll be sharing these concerns and other with her. If you have any comments or concerns to add, please leave a comment.

Post Script 2: If you are indeed going to follow through on the Opportunity Oasis strategy, be sure to get some SEO advice. Right now a Google search shows up Francine Hardaway’s critique and two development firms. Not exactly the image you want to project, whether it’s meant for public consumption or not.

This is day 17 in my 28 Day Blogging Challenge. 11 days to go.

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Feb 24

CityScape: Suburbanizing Downtown Phoenix

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion, urbanism View Comments

Those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook know that I’m not a fan of CityScape. I was initially excited by the project and had high hopes that the city finally ‘got’ it.  However, as the months went by the buildings went up, my excitement turned to guarded skepticism.  This week any hopes I once had were dashed by the following three strikes:

Strike #1: Urban Form

I recently walked around the exterior of CityScape, Phoenix’s supposedly ‘exciting urban infill’ development.  During this walk my suspensions were confirmed:  Far from being an authentic urban development that takes into account the surrounding urban fabric, it would be yet another typical development.  I guess I was naive to think expect anything different from a project conceived in a Scottsdale business park and designed by an Seattle architect.

CityScape’s idea of urban form is to place a large-scale suburban pharmacy on one corner of the development and an elevator lobby on another corner. So much for encouraging an active street life or pedestrian activity downtown.

While I have no problems with the CVS Pharmacy, I do wish the proposed design took up less street frontage (perhaps placing it on the second floor?). This would free up valuable street frontage for smaller scale businesses that would attract customers and window shoppers, enhancing the urban vitality of the development.  Instead it looks like we’ll get something similar to most other CVS’s with large blank walls or faux windows, punctuated by a small entry way or two.

Strike #2: Public Space

The supposed ‘park’ to replace the publicly owned Patriots Park, is not really a park, but an outdoor arcade on private property surrounded by buildings. Worse yet, at least part of it will be above street level, further discouraging pedestrian activity.  Basically, this ‘park’ is designed for the office dwellers and patrons of the complex, NOT the citizens and residents of downtown Phoenix.  Besides, we already have several downtown park spaces that are chronically under used, why do we need another?

Strike #3: Grocery Store

On Monday, we learned that the long promised grocery store in downtown Phoenix was not actually a grocery store, but rather a high-end food boutique.  While I don’t have a problem with Oakville Grocery per se (especially if it keeps it’s, it’s promise to stock locally produced goods.), I do take issue with is the conceit that it is a ‘grocery store’ that will meet the needs of downtown residents.  There is only so much demand for handmade cheeses and gourmet sandwiches in downtown (and besides the Phoenix Public Market already offers these items and more. (On the upside, the high price products will be a boon to the City’s new food tax).

What is really needed downtown is a place to pick up toilet paper, laundry detergent. I rather have seen something like Fresh and Easy or even Trader Joes come in.  However, I realize the difficulty in luring other grocers, particularly since the promised residential part of Cityscape is delayed indefinitely.  This means that the population needed to support a real grocery store just isn’t there.

As a result of these three strikes, and several others, CityScape represents yet another failed attempt to revitalize downtown. It is basically a morphing of downtown’s last two failed ‘urban infill’ attempts:  Collier Center and Arizona Center. Both these were supposed to enhance downtown’s urban fabric. Both failed miserably at this goal.

CityScapeAlex3 225x300 CityScape: Suburbanizing Downtown Phoenix

A Seattle-style tower in the dessert

The various civic ‘leaders’ who continue to push such misguided projects need to wake up. Instead of facilitating a downtown that ALL residents can enjoy, they have continued on the futile quest to keep suburbanites and tourists downtown after ball games or conventions by creating a suburban haven in the middle of the city.

These so-called leaders need to realize that what’s needed downtown isn’t foisting another new mega-project on us.  Rather, we as a broad-based community need to radically rethink how we approach development. Until that happen, Phoenix will never realize the potential of being ‘Arizona’s Urban Heart.”

Developments such as Cityscape don’t take us closer to a true downtown, rather they move us further away.  In Phoenix’s desperate attempt to attract suburban tourists downtown, the city is morphing downtown into a suburb itself.

This is day 16 in my 28 Day Blogging Challenge. 12 days to go.

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Feb 23

Urban Savoir-Faire

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion, urbanism View Comments

I first heard of the term ‘urban savoir-faire’ in a podcast by Adam Greenfield, the same one I learned about Schelling points. Adam describes how the increasing networked world we are living in, and the near ubiquity of smart phones is coming at the cost of traditional urban aspects of serendipity, solitude and anonymity. Together these aspects form  the makings of ‘urban savoir faire.’ Such aspects are the intangibles of living in an urban environment and allows people who posses it than innate ability to know how to navigate the city with a polished refinement.

07012007779 Urban Savoir Faire

From whentechlunches.com

Before ubiquitous computing, it took years, if not decades to understand the rhythm of a city; including such things as the true (vs. published) transit schedule, or the dive bar with the great grilled cheese. But once you understood it, you gained a panache and sense of accomplishment, and felt connected to the city in a unique way.  Now, people don’t head to the light rail station until their iPhone tells them the next train in moments away, and use services like Yelp to find the great ‘hole in the wall.’ that is now packed with suburban ‘tourists.’ In other words, our increasing networked society has diminished the concept of urban obscurity and added a new level (and meaning) of transparency to the urban environment.

This in and of itself is not a bad thing.  Our lives are a little bit better, and definitely run smoother because of this shared knowledge. From a personal perspective, I would not have been able to get up to speed on the ins and outs of downtown and central Phoenix so quickly without such networked information.  However, the soul of the city is in danger of being lost in this efficiency. In this interview, Adam mentions sociologist’s Richard Sennett argument that what makes urbanity is “precisely the quality of necessary, daily, cheek-by-jowl confrontation with a panoply of the different.”  I agree. When anybody can navigate a city easily, it becomes less of an authentic experience and more, for a lack of a better word, a suburban one. Ubiquitous computing smooths the rough edges from the urban experiences and eliminates many of the intangibles that make city life unique.

The challenge is: how do we take advantage of the benefits of the networked city, while keeping the concept of urban savoir-faire alive?

This is day 15 in my 28 Day Blogging Challenge. 13 days to go.

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Feb 22

Zero Tolerance=Zero Sense

By Yuri Artibise 28 Day Challenge, Opinion View Comments

Most people don’t give much thought to bad policies or legislation until they affect you, your family or your friends.  Last week, I had a personal connection with the folly of Zero Tolerance in our schools.

One of the first things I learned when studying and practicing public policy is the impact of unintended consequences.  Often bureaucrats enact public policies  at the demands of the public in response to a perceived threat.  While designed to solve one problem, they often cause many more. Such is the case with the Zero Tolerance policies at many schools in the United States.

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Zane and Stacey

Last week I received a frantic call from a good friend of mine, Stacey Champion.  She told me that her son Zane was in danger of being expelled. You can read the full story here. But basically, on February 5th, days before his 11th birthday, Zane got caught with a small penknife in his bag at his school: Arizona School for the Arts. The knife was a gift from his father, Nate who is moving to San Diego.  Even though the school administrators admit that this was a mistake, they recommended that he be EXPELLED.  They explained to Stacey that while Zane a good kid and didn’t intentionally bring the penknife to school or mean to harm anyone, Zero Tolerance Policy ties the schools hands.

In the words of Stacey, “He’s not a perfect kid, but he’s a good kid, a smart kid.”  Sure, he gets in trouble from time to time for the usual boy stuff – teasing girls, horseplay, and sometimes being too talkative and overly exuberant in class. Kid stuff. At the same time, Zane is one of the brightest and friendliest kinds I know. He plays the cello in the school orchestra, as well as the guitar and piano, he volunteers to help the homeless, and is an amazing artist and writer. Whenever I’m with him, I need to remind me that he’s only in 5th grade.

Zero Tolerance=Zero Sense

Zane and his Father, Nate

To me, this incident shows the inanity of the Zero Tolerance policy, a policy that takes all discretion out of the hands of decision makers and turns them in to mindless robots whom simply apply rules without considering the evidence or implications. When educators refuse to use common sense and apply critical thinking, how do we expect their students to? Why are we paying them good money for their expertise and judgment when they REFUSE to use it?

The main shortcoming of zero tolerance policies is that they is that treat different threats of ‘violence’ as equally dangerous and deserving of the same consequences.  So a 5th grade student who unwittingly brings a penknife to school is treated the same way as a 17 years old who brings a bowie-knife to threaten a teacher.  Even Sheriff Joe understands the need for different sentences for offenses of different seriousness.

zcello Zero Tolerance=Zero Sense

Zane

I have no problem with school discipline policies grounded in common sense.  In fact, I can now see that some of the discipline that I received in school made me a better student and, ultimately a stronger citizen. Unfortunately, in the generation that has passed since I was in elementary school, most of the common sense and discretion that made this discipline effective.

We expect our children’s educators to have the skills and knowledge to teach behavior in age-appropriate ways. Unfortunately, zero tolerance is not rooted in theories of pedagogy or child development. It teaches children nothing about fairness, and often creates injustice.  Worse yet, there is no credible evidence that zero tolerance reduces violence or drug abuse by students; there are clearly documented unintended, and sometime severe,negative consequences for both schools and students.  Such policies have resulted in embarrassing publicity for schools and have been struck down by the courts.

There is a difference between being treated equally and being treated fairly. Kids are not going to respect teachers and administrators who cannot appreciate the difference between a penknife and a switch blade.  How is Stacey supposed to teach my child about democracy and justice with a “one punishment fits all” policy? What will expelling Zane from the school he loves teach him? To lie at all costs? To give up? To never admit you made a mistake?

Instead of Zero Tolerance, schools should be promoting anti-violence programs like anti-bullying, anger management, and peer mediation help to reduce discipline problems in schools. Instead of expelling students for a single mistake, they should be involving students, families, and their communities in efforts to provide a safe learning environment and safety in school.

Zane’s case is being heard by the ASA Governing Board, at a closed Board hearing that will be taking place on Tuesday, February 23rd at 5:30 p.m. at the ASA campus.  It is here where they will decide whether Zane with be expelled or not.

zz Zero Tolerance=Zero Sense

Zane and his sister, Zoe

Friends and neighbors of Stacey will be holding a rally for Zane tomorrow, Tuesday, February 23rd,starting at 5 pm outside of the ASA Campus at 1313 N. 2nd St in Phoenix. If you can, please come out and show, not only your opposition to the blind implementation of zero tolerance policies in our schools, but more importantly to show Zane that not all adults are like his school administrators and that some of use are willing to stand up for basic justice and common sense.  Help turn this unfortunate turn of events in to a positive one by showing that there is power in numbers, and positive activism can elicit positive change. You can find out more about the rally, and RSVP here.

In addition, please show your support for Zane and Stacey, and opposition to the wrongheaded implementation of zero tolerance polices by signing this petition. There is power in numbers.

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ADDENDUM:

This story has received some media attention.  In addition to a story on KTAR which will air in the morning, it was covered by 3TV on Monday’s evening news. Here is the story about Zane and then they also ran an uncut interview with Stacey as well.

ADDENDUM 2:

They did it!  Zane will not be expelled, though he will face two days of in-school suspension in addition to the nine-day suspension he’s already finished.   News coverage:   FOX 10 | KSTW 13 | ABC 15 | KTAR | Daily Sun (Flagstaff).

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