DESERT URBANISM

Public Scholarship about Phoenix

Nan Ellin

Table of Contents

“Phoenix 21: Desert Metropolis” in

Phoenix: 21st Century City

Articles in the Arizona Republic

and Arizona Capitol Times

Articles in Shade Magazine

Profiles and Interviews

When I lIved In ParIs, I WIshed I Were there In the 1860s,

as the cIty Was undergoIng dramatIc socIal and urban

transformatIons that marked Its destIny. When I lIved

In neW york, I WIshed I had been there In the 1910s When

massIve mIgratIon and cIty buIldIng Were formIng Its

InImItable character. and When I lIved In los angeles,

I WIshed I Were there In the 1950s, When It gaIned

PromInence as a hub for PostWar InnovatIon. lIvIng

In PhoenIx over the last eIght years, I have felt that

I am fInally In the rIght Place at the rIght tIme.

thanks to its majestic desert setting, appealing climate, and abundant economic

opportunity, the Phoenix metropolitan area is the fastest growing in the united states.

In recent years, exponential growth has combined with a historically independent

spirit and relatively low cost of living to attract an impressive concentration of talent,

energy, and vision. like Paris, new york, and los angeles at their critical junctures,

this metropolis is enjoying a flourishing of expressive arts which are leaving their mark,

shaping the city as well as city life.

gently cradled within a ring of mountain ranges, metropolitan Phoenix exudes a calm

tranquility alongside a youthful exuberance. the bright sun and straight wide streets

lined by palm trees lend a serene—and sometimes otherworldly—quality to circulating

through Phoenix. fragrant orange blossoms and ebullient desert wildflowers announce

the arrival of spring and fresh rains emit the musty scent of creosote in monsoon

season. the sky looms large in the desert, allowing a visibility that is both compelling

and overwhelming. magnificent sunrises and sunsets bracket daily fares of perennially

changing palettes that alternate with glittering nighttime starscapes. the big sky allows

us to stretch our eyes, see the horizon, and consider what may lie beyond it.

against this backdrop of enduring natural rhythms and undulating mountains, their distinct

profiles etched by time, a vibrant culture pulsates, to the varying beats of many drummers.

once a month, thousands of people converge in downtown Phoenix to attend the first

friday artwalk. this human river winds through numerous galleries and studios open

for the evening, partaking along the way in a great street party of plein aire fashion

shows, performance and installation art, belly dancers, hip hop troupes, “u-haul

galleries” rented for the evening and parked on vacant lots, and an itinerant band called

the madcaPs who play from the bed of a roving pickup truck. the annual art detour,

a pumped-up version of first friday spanning an entire weekend, is among the most-

attended arts events in the country. given the infusion of artists and arts events along

with affordable live/work space, art in america recently reported, “In many ways,

downtown Phoenix has the key elements that self-starting, contemporary art scenes

thrive upon” . In addition, scottsdale’s well-established arts district hosts weekly

artwalks and the larger region is home to several major art museums and theatres

as well as a symphony, opera, and ballet.

PhoenIx 21: desert metroPolIsnan ellIn

P.11PhxforeWord

In this crucible of rapid growth in the sonoran desert at the turn of the 21st century,

distinct expressions are forged. the art and design emerging from the Phoenix

region falls into four categories. some derives directly from this place, using natural

materials or found objects. a second category portrays this place, both its natural

and constructed features, or is somehow inspired by these. other work is informed

by local conditions, inciting paeans, critiques, or mere reflections on urban sprawl,

car culture, suburban living, migrations, ethnic diversity, environmental devastation

or conservation, and more. the fourth category consists of art and design that could

be produced anywhere. In other words, some of the work is created out of this place,

some is created about this place, some is created because of this place, and some is

created in spite of this place.

Well over half of the metropolitan Phoenix population originates from other places

and there are more domestic movers than any other region in the nation since 2000.

thanks to this dynamic confluence, the human fabric weaves a rich array of social

diversity including contemporary native americans, anglos, african americans, latinos,

europeans, asians, and more. there are markets and restaurants offering delicacies

from around the world, houses of worship representing all major religions, and a wide

spectrum of cultural celebrations and artistic expression. a thriving gay and lesbian

community hosts a lesbian and gay film festival, a gay and lesbian chamber of

commerce with over 500 members, an alternative high school prom, and a gay rodeo.

metro Phoenix has become a magnet in recent years for leaders in business, politics,

education, information technology, and the biosciences. many of them are drawn by

marked efforts to “leapfrog” over other regions in these arenas and by the forward-

thinking agenda of asu, already one of the largest universities in the country and

growing. others come to this region on vacation, but end up staying. and others still

come to retire, but boredom often conspires with the rejuvenating setting to propel

them back to work. In many instances, they find themselves “busier than ever,”

perhaps on a divergent track allowed by their reflective pause.

Whether moving here in search of personal renewal, adventure, or political and

economic freedom, Phoenix has long been a place where people come to restore or

reinvent themselves. like the mythical phoenix bird, this city is a place of rebirth.

liberated from the weight of prior expectations, obligations, or oppressions, an

attitude of openness prevails along with an optimism and willingness to try new

things. With the recent influx of people from all over the world and all walks of life,

there is a lack of snobbery and generosity of spirit relative to more established cities.

Perhaps the sunshine, the frontier legacy, and never having been a world center also

play a role. Whatever the reason, Phoenix refreshingly lacks “attitude.”

as we careen into the 21st century, the local has become a quaint anachronism.

Instantaneous exchange of information, ideas, and money, along with rapid movement

of people and goods has made the world seem much smaller in certain respects.

While we enjoy riding this wave of rapid change and the benefits that accrue to being

citizens of the world, the accelerated pace can be unsettling. the more mobile we

become as a society, the more we crave a sense of rootedness, community, and

belonging. the more rapidly the world changes around us, the more sorely we crave

authentic connections with places, people, and ourselves. the more we become a

“global village,” the more obstinately and passionately we seek distinction. While we

value access to mass information and goods, we also prize unique one-offs and face-

to-face interaction. We long to feel things through real experiences, not canned and

programmed ones. We demand substance, not deflective surface.

the city of the 21st century is not contained within a clear boundary, nor does it have a

single center surrounded by hinterlands. Instead, it consists of hubs and nodes where

transportation and communication networks overlap, extending physically as well as

virtually. Its influences come from within as well as without.

side by side with rapid change, and in the places it is most intense, expressions of

creative culture often proliferate. a characterizing feature of this creative output is the

blurring of boundaries between popular, mass, and high art. these expressions seek out

the gaps in this network, spaces that are not yet occupied by global forces, including

the costs those incur. such creative clusters become new nodes in the network,

requiring the discovery and occupation of other gaps which eventually become nodes,

as the time-worn organic process of city and community-building unfolds.

Within the larger global network, Phoenix itself has been a gap and therefore an

attractor for creative work. It is, in fact, the gap—or opening—that allows creative

expression to spring forth in this place at this time. Phoenix was recently included

among the top ten emerging hubs for creative talent in the u.s. and ranked the #1 city

for entrepreneurs . moving to Phoenix twenty years ago and opening his own agency

at the age of 23, advertising guru and professional drummer louie moses thought

“this is the perfect place for an artist. you can think freely, and you have time to

open your mind to new ideas.” six-time recipient of the prestigious clio award, his firm

moses anshell inhabits a renovated 1920s railroad station in the warehouse district

of downtown Phoenix. With a roster of clientele including nintendo, Joe boxer, and

us airways, the firm surpassed 69 million in billings last year. anshell maintains, “I

think Phoenix has all the elements a city needs for a person to be creative…It can

be a casual, relaxing atmosphere that puts your mind in a place where it can be open,

but it also has the stimulation of a big city.”

the Phoenix metro area has become a fertile ground for young fashion designers, many

of whom are drawn by three local design schools. While some focus on haute couture

for a select clientele, most are producing “wearable art,” one-of-a-kind moderately-

priced casual clothing and accessories. fashion designer andrew brown has chosen

to live and work in Phoenix because “there is no ‘group think’ like there is in the l.a.

and new york markets” where design tends to “elaborate on the same core style.”

occupying gaps has also been occurring within the Phoenix region. Inhabiting residual

spaces in the city that subsequently appreciate in value, artists move on to occupy

other gaps and the process continues. the Phoenix arts community has benefited,

however, from having one of the highest rates of artist owner-occupied space per

capita in the nation. as a result, artists often turn a profit from this “gentrification.” not

surprisingly, many artists have become integrally involved in real estate transactions

and development at all scales, adding a whole new meaning to “the art of the deal.”

Phoenix was originally platted on a grid system like most western towns, and urban

growth has remained faithful to the grid. Periodically interrupted by mountains, canals,

and rivers, as well as by master-planned communities and walled enclaves, streets

generally resume their paths. In its relentless patterned predictability, the grid offers

assurance that if you happen to stray, you could easily return. by chance or not, one of

the strongest arts hubs in the Phoenix area is located along the only street that defies the

grid, grand avenue. cutting through the city on a diagonal, grand, not unlike manhattan’s

broadway, offers the freedoms and anomalies of living and working “off the grid.”

rather than growing up, the Phoenix metropolitan region has been growing out.

expanding at a rate of 1-2 acres an hour, the urban edge has lately been extending _

mile per year. the city of Phoenix has the largest land mass of all u.s. cities and could

accommodate within its boundaries manhattan, Paris, rome, Washington d.c., and san

francisco, with room to spare. the larger metropolitan region, encompassing twenty-four

cities and five Indian reservations, spreads over 9,200 square miles, an area larger than

seven states, including massachusetts. In contrast to Paris, which maintains a density

of 70,000 people per square mile, or traditional desert cities with a density of 35,000,

or even los angeles with 12,000, there are less than 2,000 people per square mile

in the Phoenix metropolitan area. of approximately 1.5 million housing units, 67% are

single-family houses, 27% are multi-family, and 6% are mobile homes. less than 3% of all

units were built prior to 1950 and 37% were built since 1990. the intensity of this growth

machine, while the results may not always be felicitous, generates a dynamism and

mindset of anticipation that lends to envisioning possibilities and better alternatives.

given the vastness of this region and the need to navigate through it, wheels assume

paramount importance. from skateboards to bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and trucks,

there is a fascination, oft-times an obsession, with wheels. We customize them,

accumulate them, covet others’, curse them when they falter, pamper them in luxury

garages, and treat them as extensions of ourselves.

In contrast to the traditional walking city, where most is accomplished on foot,

Phoenix is the quintessential “driving city.” altering the scale and logic of everyday life,

pedestrian paths become roads and social interactions often occur in parking lots or

at the drive-through. In addition to the ubiquitous bank and fast-food drive-throughs,

Phoenix has drive-through drug stores, liquor stores, dry cleaners, car washes, and

libraries. over half of the landscape is devoted to the car and the average household

spends as much each year on its cars as it does on its home. this long reign of the car

will soon shift as the first light-rail line opens in 2008, spawning along its 20-mile path

numerous urban villages.

Phoenix is hot. It can feel like luxuriating in a nice bath or scorching on a hot griddle.

While the thousands of “snowbirds” who descend each winter from cooler climates

migrate home during the summer months, those who live here year-round learn to cope.

like the cost of housing in new york city or gray days in seattle, coping with the heat

fosters a sense of community. the heat is also a great leveler. We are all “survivors”

together, regardless of age, income, or ethnicity.

Water is a source of delight as well as concern in the desert. scientist and explorer

John Wesley Powell described the West in 1878 as a place where optimism consistently

outruns the water supply, a statement that probably still holds true today. life in this

desert city has relied upon access to water. the national reclamation act of 1903

made large-scale inhabitation of the region possible and careful measuring, monitoring,

rerouting, restoring, and allocating of water has allowed continued growth. Phoenicians

congregate around and celebrate water whether it is the canals that crisscross the

region initially carved out by native americans, tempe town lake, rio salado, or the

urban fountains that dot the region.

the extreme conditions of this place oblige sensitive and unique responses. desert

dwellers contemplate ways to enhance our nests by taking advantage of naturally

cooling breezes, erecting connective shade structures to shield us from the blaring sun,

harvesting rainwater, replacing asphalt with pervious surfaces, and more. too much

comfort and our creative muses might be lulled to sleep. In addition to environmental

challenges, rapid growth has incited vigorous debates among a large public, ultimately

dispelling the assumption that this is a suburban city by focusing attention on revitalizing

existing urban cores and building new ones. the expanse of the desert juxtaposed with

expansive urban growth--the sublime with the often mundane--brings both into relief.

In recent years, Phoenix has become a regular stop along global architectural

pilgrimages. the region’s particular brand of desert modernism traces its lineage to

frank lloyd Wright, who established taliesin West in the 1930s and whose influence

continues to reverberate throughout this valley. moving to arizona from Italy to work with

Wright, Paolo soleri developed his philosophy of “arcology”—a synthesis of architecture

and ecology—as demonstrated at arcosanti and cosanti. relocating from Wisconsin in

the 1960s to work with soleri, Will bruder has been carrying forth the architectural torch

along with eddie Jones, Wendell burnette, rick Joy, and marwan al-sayed. blending

poetry, passion, and pragmatism, these architects skillfully inflect the desert modern

tradition, inspiring the next generation who, in turn, bring global influences to the local

architectural composite.

taking cues from the desert itself, much of the best architecture and urban design

emerging from this region embraces a combination of boldness and restraint, of

showmanship and modesty. combining primal instinct with technological acumen,

contemporary desert modernists divine the thread linking traditional and modern.

enchanted by the extraordinary light emitted in this corner of the world, they deftly

apply materials, color, and form to offer serene spaces for contemporary indoor/outdoor

dwelling and working. architects such as mccoy + simon and richard + bauer silhouette

elegant forms against craggy buttes and landscapes spiked with saguaro cactus and

carpeted with wild brush. Improvising on nature, bruder gracefully offsets earth tones

with bright hues, including a coral the shade of an ocotillo blossom and a “pungently

optimistic green” matching the new growth of a palo verde tree. this noteworthy output

of the last decade and a half, produced by dozens of architectural practices, has

become distinguished as the “arizona school.”

Phoenix is coming of age. this book celebrates the creative energies sparked by an

opportune convergence of people, place, time, and circumstance. It is a tribute to

all who are forging something of value from the raw materials afforded by this desert

metropolis at the dawn of the 21st century in song, dance, poetry, prose, performance,

painting, sculpture, digital art, design, and architecture. this work inspires, illuminates,

incites, and instructs. It brings depth, breadth, beauty, laughter, heart, and soul to our

landscape and our lives.

Within this historic convergence resides the potential for a collective work of art at the

urban scale. this is a city in formation. unlike cities that are already formed, there is an

opportunity to create it so it will flourish, bestowing rich harvests for years to come.

right here, right now.

Page2 ARIZONA CAPITOL TIMES June 13, 2003

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Arizona Capit~l TImes corrects inaccura-

cies. Please' report errors toeditor@azcapitoltimes.com.

A Blueprint For Survival Of Metro PhoenixDevelopment Shou}d Include 'Co~l'.Places To Walk

Ninety per cent of the Phoenix metro-politan area was built 'over the last half "':'

cimiUrY,~'period'whenurban d~velopment,,' sidies'and'dther i!J~entives.focused. primarilyori building highways, ... " And third'in. this category, zoning

;'sQburbantract h,o:using,.~nd'shoppi.Dg':.:requirements must be modified in certain.:mans; This ledt9,thc'i1bilndonmentofour,.;,'iu-eas. Wide sidewalks with benches, land-

" central cities andaspra'~:I~g mt;tIupolis.:,::.scaping, public art and parallel or diagonalthat is now larger"than'$e :Los Angel~s,'~::parkirig along the street assure that build-metropolitan area and larger than seven~ "~-;'ingsline the street to create "stteetWalls" sostates;' including MaS~achusetts. l.:', ',' ",:'" that pedestrians feel that they arein,an "out-

. Sprawi not only'deplc;tes our mitural door rooID-" The result is a sense of enclo-

"reso~rces.'As a nl!~betotrecen(studies - sure, safety and interest as pedestrians gaze,;,demonstrate; spra,wl takes arie;~ormous ,atiinto, facades and as those inside watcbC't<:>Uou'ourphysical' and mental bealth ' . ,: ,

"c?ntributing,ioautomobilefataliti~s,obe- We' miJst figure out a"SHy, asthma, workplace woesand',sub- ' , ' .

urban sorrows like boredomand isoiation. way to retrofit our' ,We cannot, however, retrace our steps ,," .

al1dbeginagain.Nor sho.uldwe banish 'metropolitan area so

thecar.Rather,we mus.tfigureouta wa~ that it gracefully,to retrofit our metropo.litan area so that It .' " ' ,

,.gracefully accommodate~ people as well accommodates people, as cars. Howcan we accomplishthis? IIWe need: as we as cars.

. more "mixed-use" urban pockets

. more alternatives to the, car

.more passive cooling devices that pro-vide comfort throughout the year. ,

Let's look ,at each of these more

closely, focusing on downtown Phoenix., Mixed-use: To insure more walking,

we need more people downtown 24 hours,seven days a week. This requiresincreasing the residential population.More housing options would not onlyincrease' the amount of walking down-to.wn, it would also decrease tbe numberof workers who commute. '

To assure social diversity, the city'could implement "inclusionary zoning," astrategy that has been successful in NewYork City, the Washington B.C. area andSanta Fe, N.M. Inclusionary zoninginvolves setting aside a portion of newhousing (usually about 15 per cent) forlower-income residents. Developersbuilding in tbis area must either build

'affordable housing or contribute to a fundallocated toward this kind of housing.

In addition to'increasing, the range ofbousing options, we need to walk to moreplaces. Years of urban dispersal have ren-dered walking prohibitive in most of theValley. We need greater proximitiesthrough creating more "mixeduse" devel-opments where housing, offices,- retail,restaurants, cafes, schools, arts and leisure

activities and parks all co-mingle. Even inthe densest urban residential pockets ofdowntown Phoenix, there is little to ,walkto since retail and other amenities are

scarce..Many contend that "retail followsrooftops" in a natural progression, but in

this chicken-and-eggsituation, wherethere'is a perception of risk for investorsof both housing and retail, a swift and

assured urban renaissance relies upon sub-

i

BY NAN Es.uN

,passersby. The urQan residential zoning thatwas established to allow Roosevelt Squareat Portland Street and Central Avenue

demonstrates these principles and effortsare currently underway to encourage infillon smaller lots by eliminating the tWo-acreminimum currently required. Two otherimportant initiatives (in progress) shouldbave a tremendous positive impact: Transit-Oriented'Development (fOD) overlay'dis-tricts along the light rail line [Tempe isdeveloping a similar plan but is focusingonly on the area around the light-rail stopsand is calling it Pedestrian-Oriented Devel-

. opment (POD)] and a'new master plan forthe area north ,of Fillmore betWeen CentralAvenue and Seventh Street

'Althougb downtown revitalization hasbeen substantial over the past few years,we need to accelerate our progress.' Onetool used by virtually, every city that ,bassuccessfully rebounded (these are referredto as "comeback cities" is tax increment

financing (TIF). This tool allows a juris-diction such as a municipality to declare a"tax increment district" and to acquire.property within that district and resell it ata reduced price to pay demolition costs,finance on-site improvement and assistwith relocating residents if necessary. Thecity would issue bonds that are then paidback with revenues from rising propertyvalues over the next 25 years. (If sufficientrevenue is not generated, the city is liableto pay the shortfall.) In Arizona",however,

- 'TIF is currentlyunconstitutional. ..

,Alternatives to the car: In addition to

having more reasons to leave' our cars

behind, weneedtohavetheability todo so.The planned light rail and improved bussystem are providing necessary alternativesto the car. "District parking," as fourid in

Santa Monica, Calif., and other cities, offersan excellent means of accommodating' bothcars and pedestrians in the city. B;mt andmanaged by cities, these clearly identified,

'easily accessible and well-run parking facil-ities provide ample and safe parking. Thisconsolidation of parking removes a signifi-cant barrier to compact urban development.In addition, the elimination of parkingrequirements for each use offerS a signifi~

, cant incentive to downtown developmentIn our desert city; mixCcl-use deveiop-

ment and alternatives to the car are not

sufficient for a pedestrian-friendly envi-ronment We also need:

Passive cooling: The last, balf -centuryduring whicb most of Phoexrlx grew wasalso. a period when urban developmentdeliberately ignored local topography, cli-mate. culture and history. As a result, we

,are a city that largely works against ournatural setting rather thari with it, leadingto environmental devastation, economiccosts and physical discomfort. The "heat-island effect," the result of substitutingasphalt forth'; natural landscape, intensi-fies the magnitude of these problems ,aswell as the need for remedying them.

The School of Architecture at Arizona

State University bas become a leadingresearch center in cooling strategies fordesert cities. PrimarY among these is aninvestigation into shade structures thatrange widely in scale, materials aIld costs.

See Blueprint on page 15

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"THE ARIZONA REPUBUC TI/URSDAY. DECEMBER 16. 2004 B7

OPINIONS" , , -

Add pizazz to vision for.downtownT he new down~o~ strategi,: vision approvea

, by the PhoemxCIty Councilon Thesdaypo-, tentially hails a new era for the city.

Drafted elVerthe past 11 months, this documentadmirably unifiesthe initially disparate interests of-the city of ~hoenix, the business cOJ!lII1unity,Ari-zona, State University, neighborhood associations,

community groups and hundredsof individual citizens who voiced

, their opinions at, three Town Hallmeetings,and online.' '

, For this important groundworkto successfully gliidethe, massivechanges that ,Phoenix 'is 'about toundergo, however, it neec;lsto betaken\to the next leveL -

As currtmtlypresented,.the 55-page document is lacking teeth inboth its message and its medium.

Somecatchy', Thi.$is a virtually inevitable by~slogans and pr?d~ctof so much consensus~, ' ", building. ,names can For city visionsto be trulygen-

, " , erative, they need to capture andpunch up the excite theimagiIianon of the gen:-strategic plan ~ralpublicp'ypresentingtheITh

" <.h ' case persuasively and, i~eallY,po-

t e cIty as ~tically. ,,' , , ,

adopted for ~ b~gin,.this doc~ent~hould". be dIstilled mto a conCISesumma- 'downtown.' ry that dearly and powerfully

, ' conveys itscorev3Iues, goals andstrategies. Instead of listing approximately 80 of-ten-overlapping recommendations, this summaryshould h,ighlight just a few goals.that distinguish thevision for Phoenix, which, in turn, will distinguishour city~

Todeftly steer the course toward successful rew~talization, the proposed strategies should incorpo-rate a 'mechanism for measuring arid monitoringprogress, providing a feedback to adjust the planwhen necessary and assuring the plan's credibility.

Also, this vision for downtown Phoenix could berendered more vividly with names and bywordsthat highlight its unique character and bring it alive.Effective city plans throughout history have hadsuch slogans iriorder to generate support before the

NanEllin

MyTurn

first shovel of dirt is lifted." ''Phese ,memorable phrases also assure tbat' the

plans are carried through even when power struc-tures may' shift; Examples include Daniel ,HudSonBurnham's "Make no small plans" for Chicago,Frederick Law Olmsted's "Emerald Necklace" forBostori:Mayor (aridarchiteCt) Oriol Bohigas' "Proj.,ects, not Plans'" f<?rBarcelona; Mayor J~ Riley's"Our GeneratiOli's .Gift to the Fumre" for Charles- '

tori, Mayor Richard M. Daley's "Conserve ChicagoTogether," and 'Toronto's~~recent"Makirig Waves",for its waterfront revitalization., ' ,

,To take, the Phoenix plan to the next level, itsnouldbe Calledsomething other than the currentlygeneric "Downtown Phoenix: AStrategic Visi~n ari«;l'.

Blueprint for the Future?' The recommended riet-work of pathways and parks suggests one possibil-itY:"Phoenix:'City of Connected Oases." ,

Key c«:,ri1t>on~ntsof thep1an~uld also be named.:, This network, for instan~e, mightbe coined the Des-ert Necklace or ParkNet.' '(he district north of the ,

tracks and west, of TIPi'd Avenue 'co1,1ldbe call~dNo-: "

tra (north of the tracks).J'he'dist!jct south ofth,etracks CQuldbe called Sotra. And sO on.

, ,EffeCtivelynaming' arid, diStilling the plan woUld,Clarify its intent and ~ssUre its longeVity, making itless possible tolose sight otit, orto~'re-interpret" it ,to. serve other agendas. ',,' ,

Thkingthe plan to this next level wpuld also assist'in sustaining momentum, galvanizing the JargercommunitY towards the defined goals and ensuringthat, the plan is more than juSt, "wordcandy"m-tended to appease the, interested parties. Such awell-craffedplan would also draw interest from,other cities and urban desigDprofessionals, therebyraising the profile o(Phoenix. ' ,

, The success ofa city plan resides first in its sub-stance; Weare off to a promising start with thenewly adopted vision for downtown Phoenix. The'ul., ,

timate suc~ss of any plan, however, is measured bythe'degree to which it is implemented. To leveragethese impressive initial efforts into a truly great,city, let's take the next step. '

NanEliin is associate professor of urban design. College ofArchitecture and Environmental Design, Arizona StateUniversity.

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" THE ARIzoNA REPUBLIC

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roJ;SDAY,FfBRUARY: 15, 200s' B7

OPINIONS. .

The time .is ripe for. Phoenix". .

W.. ~en.

1 lived in paris,.

.

1~hed I were th~re. , m the 186Os,as the CIty was undergomg

dramatic social and urban transforma-tions that.marked its d.estiny.-When I lived in NewYork, I wishefi I had been there in the 1910s, whenmassive migration and city-building were formingits inimitable character: And when I lived in Los An-geles, 1wished I had been there in the 1950s, its de-

fining decade.Living in Phoenix over the past

seven years, I have felt that I amfinally in the right place at theright time.

This is Phoenix's moment. LikeParis,New York, and Los Angelesat their critical junctures, Phoe-nix is home to an impressive con-centration of talent, energy andvision attracted in large part bythe possibilities availed by rapidgrowth. This is a city on the vergeof blossoming. We have been sow-ing the seeds of a vibrant and liv-able downtown. We now have theopportunity, and the responsibili-ty, to nurture these seeds so theybestow rich harvests upon us aswell as future generations.

After "decades of urban declineand suburban' growth, citiesacross the nation are experienc-ing renaissances. Eight of the 10

largest cities are growing in population. Crimerates have dropped precipitously and urban em-ployment, income and fiscal health are all on therise.

We are witnessing a significant migration intocentral cities by people who were finding suburbanlife too isolated, inconvenient or dull. As a result,there has been a flurry of reinvestment in down-towns. Over the past decade, San Diego; Denver;Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Kansas City, Kan.; Minneap-olis; Salt Lake City; Cleveland; Albuquerque; LittleRock; Alexandria, Va.; Missoula, Mont.; and Char-lottesville, Va., among others, have mCi.desubstan-tial inroads into downtown revitalization.

Phoenix,. now the nation's fifth-largest city, ispoised to join this urban renaissance. It is perchedupon atipping point. Toassure the scales tip toward

NanBfin

MyTurn

K.~~Themomentis heretodefineour

city, revereits historyand nurtureits future.

vitality, we must be vigilant. We must protect andenhance the nafure, neighborhoods and buildingsthat are here and creatively add to this mix a rangeof housing, educational, retail, employment andrecreational opportunities.

And we must accomplish this in a way that is re-sponsive to the various community needs as well.asto our magnificent, yet challenging, desert land-scape. "Re-vitalizing" our city could easily movePhgenix into the hallowed realm of most-livable-:cities by endowing it with a quality all its own, tak- .ing cues from this partic4lar geography, historyand culture. .

While mending the heart of the city, the benefitsof downtown Phoenix re"\Titalizationalso extend tothe larger metropolis. Growing at a rate of 2 acresan hour (48 acres a day!), metro Phoenix suffersfrom urban fragmentation, social isolation and en-vironmental degradation.

Downtown Phoenix provides approximately one-third Qfthe region's employment but a significantlysmaller fraction of the region's residences. There-'quired commuting increases traffic congestion, di-minishes air quality and reduces quality time. In ad-dition, the lack of a strong residential base' down-town precludes an exciting urban scene for, thosewishing tQlive or work in one or simply desiring tovisit one. As a result, the call for "urban infill~' hasbeen loud and insistent. We are beginning to see theearly answers to that call.

The creation of a thriving downtown would offeran alternative to sprawl while contributing to thesense of place, character and soul currently lack-ing. It would render Phoenix more attractive to cor-porate headquarters, talented and enterprising res-idents from all walks of life and tourists. It wouldwelcome all who choos~ an urban lifestyle. And itwould become a source of pleasure and pride for theentire Valley.

The recommendations of the city's recently ap-proved Strategic Vision and Blueprint for Down-town Phoenix include an of the important elementsto ensure the success of our downtown. Let's availourselves of this historic moment'to tip the scalestoward vitality. Right here, right now.

The writer is associate professor of urban design. Collegeof Architecture and Environmental Design. Arizona StateUniversity.

@ THE ARizoNA REPUBLIC

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MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2005 B7

Putnaturebackin our do . nto'Don't it always seem to goYou don't know what you've got till it's

gone.They paved paradise and put up a parking

lot.- Joni Mitchell

Cultivate your garden. - Voltaire

W hoever said that urban areas shouldbe composed of hardscape and ru-

. ral areas of softscape? Indeed, themost enchanting cities around the globe areabundant with parks, tree-lined streets, riv-ers, and other natural features.

Downtown Phoenix, however, betrayslittle of its majestic naturalsetting.

This was not always thecase. Documents datingfrom more than a centuryago, when Phoenix num-bered 8,500 people, state,"The town is embowered inshade trees and shrubbery,has streams of living waterthrough every street, issurrounded by orchards,gardens, and vineyards,and is one of the handso-mest in the West."

Unfortunately, suchremnants of nature. havebeen banished from ourcentral city over the years.

It is time to bring themback. Integrating natureinto the city improves airquality, cools people andbuildings.in the summer,

reduces heating loads in the winter, offersrecreational opportunities for fun and fitnessand bestows the priceless gifts of beauty andgratitude. .

In addition, numerous studies demon-. strate the important physical and mental. healthbenefitsof "greening"urban areas, in-cluding significant reductions in incidencesof obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression andADHD.

Greater Phoenix is nationally recognizedfor diligently setting aside large swaths ofpreserve land over the years. Ambitious re-gional trail systems are connecting trailswith canals, parks, and flood-control land,while creating miles of hew trails. The RioSalado Habitat Restoration project alongwiJ:h the Rio Oeste extension offers exem-

NanEJlin

MyTurn

Weshouldnot needto

escapethecity to enjoya breezeinthe acacialeaves.

nplary instances of reinsert-ing nature and linear parksinto the city. Some of theregion's new communities,such as the Parks at Silver-leaf in DC Ranch and Ver-rado, feature well-de-signed networks of parksconnected by paths.

We need to translatethese efforts into the urbancore. Bringing nature intoa city is more challengingthan preserving it, restor-ing it, or dedicating a placefor it in new communities.It is, however, one of themost important strategiestoward successful down-town Phoenix revitaliza-tion.

Last year, consultants to the city of Phoe-nix recommended viewing "downtown'smany small parks, plazas, public openspaces, and fountain areas as a series of oasesthat could be linked to achieve greater syn-ergy and connectivity."

Downtown Voices, a coalition of commu-nity groups, similarly suggested we "createan Urban Oasis, through the cultivation of na-ture and art projects, that knit togetherempty, unimproved spaces throughout down-town Phoenix" to generate "public places[that] reflect different characteristics suitedto community needs." The Urban Trails Com-mittee proposed an urban pathway systempunctuated by "rest stops."

And the city's Strategic Vision and Blue-print for the Future heeded this profusion ofadvice, calling for reorienting the cityaround "a set of pathways connecting a se-ries of both green and public spaces that canserve as' 'oases' in the downtown."

Before it is too late, this open-space net-work should be designated and treated as sa-cred, assuring the preservation of qualitypublic places.

Once established, pieces of the networkcan take on a range of qualities, becoming ur-ban plazas, serene retreats, playgrounds,skate parks, dog parks, community gardens,outdoor galleries, amphitheaters, basketballcourts and more. .

The entire network could offer abundantnatural features as well as shade, seating,and small kiosks plying refreshments and pe-riodicals.

Some areas could be dedicated for streetperformers and programmed events such as

JackKurtzlTheArizonaRepublic

A successful downtown must incorporate more than high-rise offices and concrete. Nature must be given a role.

lunchtime and evening concerts, dance per-formances and outdoor cinema.

Woven through the city, these publicspaces would attract sidewalk cafes andother retail activities, next to which would beoffices with housing above, serving as cata-lysts in the creation of vibrant urban hubsand streets.

Several initiatives are under way. The cityPlanning Department has begun developingguidelines for the public-space network out-lined in the vision. A Coalition for DowntownPublic Spaces is also in the works.

In addition, a Downtown Phoenix Conser-vancy recently formed to advocate for an.doversee the integration of nature into the citythrough a variety of means, including exten-sive tree-planting campaigns, reclaimingswatches of desert in the city, convertinglandbanked parcels into temporary agricul-tural uses, creating community gardens andlinear recreational parks, landscaping rightsof way, replacing asphalt with pervious sur-

.faces and more. 'Weshould not need to escape the city to en-

joy a gentle breeze through the leaves of asweet acacia, our early spring blossoms orthe musty scent of creosote after a summerrain. Todistinguish our desert city, and to en-hance the pleasure and comfort it bestowsfor generations to come, we should lovinglycarve out a place for nature in the city, nur-ture it. Then watch it, and us, flourish.

The writer is associate professor of urban design.

Collegeof Architecture& EnvironmentalDesign.Arizona State University. These views representthose of the author and not of ASU.

.

MY TURN

.WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2007

Now is time for phoenix to plan downtown of futureAclose look at r

,

ecent recommen-dations for downtown Phoenixdemonstrates a widespread

consensus about what is needed tocreate a livable and vibrant city.

0 The visions of inter-ested parties happilyconverge upon a seriesof core values (what wewant) along with strat-egies (how to get whatwe want). These in-clude:

NAN ELLIN . Vitalityandvi-brancy: Establish vital

hubs of retail, offices and housinglinked together to support a fine~grained "mixed-use" urban fabric.

. Quality public space: Create a"Connected Oasis," a network of openspaces that provide opportunities foroutdoor gatherings, recreation andrespite.

. Eco-city: Increase the presenceof nature in the city for shade, beautyarid well-being. Also, apply ecologicaldesign principles to building and thecreation of urban outdoor spaces.

. Authenti-city: Bring distinctionand a "sense of place" to our city bypreserving and enhancing buildings

CHRISTINE KEITH/THE REPUBLIC

Hance Park is an underperformingdowntown asset that has great potential.

and neighborhoods, supporting localindependent businesses, introducingiconic design elements, and ensuringcommunity involvement in mattersregarding growth and development.

. A city of/for (all) people: Ensurethe city is welcoming to people of allincomes, ages, races, ethnicities andabilities by offering a continuum ofhousing along with good schools, uni-versal (accessible) design, safety andsecurity and mass transit.

. . Acity of/for knowledge, innova-tion, and creation: ,Provjde a rich cul-tural infrastructure for the arts, edu-

cation, research and development/ap-, plication of new technologies.

. Connectivity: Ensure ease ofmovement, efficiency, convenienceand communication through en-hanced public space and vehicularnetworks, distributed municipal park-ing, multi-modal transportation andcommunication/virtual networks.

To achieve these goals, we mightadopt the following guidelines:

. Protect what we already value,be it neighborhoods, buildings, busi-nesses, cultural institutions, views,public spaces or nature.

. Enharice what is underperform-ing, for instance, Hance Park, CapitolMall, the public school system and .the retail and housing deficits.

. Add what we don't have yet, butwould like. '. Incorporate sustainability and ur-banism standards and ensure all de-velopment meets these.

. Develop a plan for implementa-tion, maintenance and management ofthe public space network.

. Monitor success/failure and ad-just the goals and guidelines accord-ingly, always striving to align with thecore values.

The residential populationof downtown Phoenix will grow

from 8,600 to 50,000over the next 20 years.

The choice is ours.

The residential population ofdowntown Phoenix will grow from8,000 to 50,000 over the next 20years. The choice is ours.

The build-out of our central citycan be haphazard and opportunisticor it can be guided with forethoughtto make ours a most livable city.

Now is the time to mine these in-formed visions for downtown Phoe-nix and to leverage our abundant nat-ural, economic and creative resourcesto assure that our city becomes a vi-brant urban oasis and source of pridefor the entire Valley, for us and futuregenerations. .

Nan Ellin, Ph.D., is director of the UrbanEtMetropolitan Studies program at theArizona State University School ofPublic Affairs in the College of PublicPrograms.

I . l

OENIX REPUBLIC' FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2007 IE)

THE PHOENIX.REPUBLIC

GENERAL MANAGER:

Michael Ryan, 602.444.5810

OPINIONS EDITOR:Richard de Uriarte, 602.444.8912

VISIT OUR BLOG:Go to blogs.az>=entral.comand click on Plugged In - Phoenix

Your voice counts

E-mail: central.letters@arizonarepublic.com Fax: 602.444.7985Mail: Letters to the Editor, Phoenix Republic, P.O. Box 2244,Phoenix, AZ 85002

Please include your name, address and phone number.Please limit letters to 200 words and columns to 400 words.

COMMlIi'UTY COiJJMNiST

Architectural scene grows from desertThanks to its majestic

desert setting, appeal-ing climate, economic

opportunityand relativelylow cost of liv-ing, the Phoe-nix region hasbecome fertileterrain for cre-ative people ofall kinds.

As aresult,this metropolis

has been enjoying a:flourish-ing of expressive arts that areleaving their mark, shapingthe city and city life.

Rapid growth has madethis area particularly attrac-tive to designers and phoenixhas lately become a regularstop along global architecturalpilgrimages. Taking cues fromthe desert itself, much of thefinest architecture and urbandesign here embraces a com-bination of boldness and re-straint, of showmanship andmodesty.

NANELLIN

--.

BILL TIMMERMAN

Matthew Trzebiatowskidesigned a Sunnyslope home.

Combining primal instinctwith technological acumen,local designers divine thethread linking traditional andmodern. Enchanted by theextraordinary light emitted inthis corner of the world, theydeftly apply materials, color

and form to offer serenespaces for contemporary in-door/outdoor dwelling andworking.

ThIs tradition, often de-scribed as Desert Modernism,traces its lineage to FrankLloyd Wright, who estab-lished Taliesin West in the1930s and whose influencecontinues to reverberatethroughout the Valley.

More recently, firms suchas McCoy and Simon Archi-tects, Richard & Bauer Archi-tecture and Blank Studio sil-houette elegant forms againstcraggy buttes and landscapescarpeted with wild brush. Im-provising on nature, architectwill Bruder, best known forthe Burton Barr Library onCentral Avenue, gracefullyoffsets earth tones withbright hues inspired by oco-tilloblossoms and paloverdetrees at a set of townhouses.called Loloma 5 in downtownScottsdale. .,

Blending poetry, passion

and pragmatism, these andother noteworthy local archi-tects have been distinguishedin international circles as the"Arizona School."

This robust architecturalscene derives in part from theclimate and geography of theregion that oblige sensitiveand unique responses. Desertdwellers contemplate ways toenhance our nests by takingadvantage of naturally coolingbreezes, erecting connectiveshade structures to buffer theglaring sun, harvesting rain-water and replacing asphaltwith pervious surfaces. Toomuch comfort and our musesmight be lulled to sleep. Theexpanse of the desert juxta-posed with expansive urbangrowth - the sublime withthe often mundane - bringsboth into relief.

'phoenix is coming of age.The creative energies sparkedby an opportune convergenceof people, place, time and cir-cumstance are;forging soine-

thing of value from the rawmaterials afforded by thisdesert metropolis at the dawnof the 21st century. This workinspires, illuminates and in-cites. It brings beauty, heartand soul to our landscape andto our lives.

Within this historic conver-gence resides the potentialfor a collective work of art atthe urban scale.

This is a city in formation.Unlike cities that are alreadyformed, there is an opportu-nity to create it so it willflourish, bestowing rich har-vests for years to come.

Nan Ellin is director of theUrban EtMetropolitan StudiesProgram at the ASU School ofPublic Affairs in the College ofPublic Programs. This isadapted from her essay forPHOENIX: 21st Century City,the fourth in theBooth-Clibborn Editionsinternational series on citiesthat are emerging creatively.

THE PHOINIX .

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'Yourvoice counts

.IX REPUBLIC. . FRIDAY,AUGUST3,2007 m

GENERALMANAGER:Michael Ryan, 602.444.5810 . .

E-mail: central.letters@anzonarepubhc.com Fax: 602.444.7985OPINIONS EDITOR: Mail: Letters to the Editor, Phoenix Republic, P.O. Box2244,Richard de Uriarte, 602.444.8912 Phoenix, AZ 85002

,~VI~JTeUR BLOGi1.Go to blogs.azcentral.com Please include your name, address and phone number. .. .and'chck on Plugged In - Phoenix~'~' r.(~;>! ch 1>,'-'PIk'~'s~'nii,ifTenei's to 200 wortIs ~nd column's fb 4t10 WIJ/ds\" 'i ."" j

MY TURN.

~uthenti-City' creates urban fabric organically"Dull, inert cities, it's true, do con-

tainthe seeds of their own destruc- .

tion and little else.But vital cities have marvelous in-

nate abilities forunderstanding, communicating,

contriving and inventingwhat is required to combat their

difficulties.' .Lively, diverse, intense cities con-

tainthe seeds of their own regeneration,with energy enough to carryoverfor problems and needs outside

themselves." .

Jane Jacobs, "Death and Life of GreatAmerican Cities," 1961. .

T OOoften, urban development isguided by the bottom line ratherthan the best interests of the

larger community. When form follows.finance, however, it often fails to offer ameaningful and authentic experience.We seek authenticity in a place just aswe'd rather slip between all cottonrather than polyester-blend sheets atnight. And, as current sheet trends sug-

gest, the higher thethread count the better.Just as 'higher threadcount improves the com-fort and quality of oursheets, so higher urbanthread count - the moreintense, the more "stuff"- improves the comfortand quality of our cities.

In the phoenix metropolitan area,there is' something ora consensus nowaround this mantra. "We want" a fine-grained urban fabric," chant the politic-ians, developers, neighborhood groups,artists and urban designers. alike. Buthow can we avoid the polyester-blendenvironments and achieve this highlysought-after authentic urbanism?

I refer to it as "authenti~City," a com-bination of large-scale and small-scaleinitiatives from the top down as well asthe bottom up: .. We need to support local inde-pendent businesses through a range ofincentives from grants and tax waiversto storefront improvement opportuni-ties, micro-loans, development servicesassistance and more. .

NANELLIN

. Simultaneously, we should provideopportunities foi' urban dwellers tobenefit from regional, national andglobal' enterprises. Even "big box"stores can have a place in the downtownas long as they are designed to enhancerather than detract from the vitality ofthe city.As we are seeing in other cities,regulatory practices are requiring thesestores to line the street with windowsand doors rather than set back from thestreet with large parking lots in frontand no windows. .

. To achieve authenticity, how devel-opment occurs goes hand in hand withwhat happens. Process is as importantas product. The "authenti-City" re-sponds to community needs .and tastes.It reflects its locaI climate, topography,history and cultures. A wide cross-sec-tion of the entire community is involvedin shaping the city.

Planning is the first step in buildingpride of place. It's a process that buildscommunity while building'consensus.

Even more important is ongoingmaintenance and reinvestment. Wehave all seen neighborhoods thatstarted out identically but have met

vastly differing fates because one wasthe lucky beneficiary of TLC while theother suffered' neglect and disinvest-ment. What makes the difference be-tween the well-maintained and the ne-glected neighborhood is the pride thatpeople take in a place.

Like a good parent, a good plan nur-tures healthy growth and change with-out being "over-involved," without de-termining everything, allowing the cityto blossom and define itself. The frame-works should not prescribe every landuse and every architectural detail.

Like all healthy organisms, an au-thenti-City is always growing andevolving according to new needs. Peo-ple will always hatch a new idea for im-proving the city: A network of linearparks, a public market, better crimeprevention, more educational opportu-nities, the conversion of right of waysinto lively streetscapes, or the develop-ment of small-business incubators.

Nan Ellin, Ph.D., is director of the UrbanfJ:Metropolitan Studies Program at theArizona State University School ofPublicAffairs.

------------

",---, - ..,"-- , -,- ',- ,,--

. WEDN,ESDAy,'SE~TEMBER 5,,2007 m

THE PHOENIXREPUBLIC;.

'GENERAL MANAGER: '

Michael Ryan, 602.444.5810

OPINIONS EDITOR:,

Richard de Uriarte; ,602.444.8912

VISIT' OUR BLDG: Go to blogs,azcentral.comand click on Plugged In ~ Phoenix

Your voice counts

E-mait c~ntral.letters@arizonarepublic.com Fax:'602.444.7985Mail: letters to the Editor, Phoenix Republic, P.O.Box2244,Phoenix, AZ 850Q2 -

Please include your name, address and phone number.Please limit letters to 200 words and columns to 400 words.

, "

COMMUNITY COLUMNIST

Make people want to come b~ck to cities

NANELLIN

'-"

Ahouse where I 0,

nce lived in .Cincinnati came with a smallgrape ivy in the hall bathroom.

I adopted the plantand watered it regu-larly. But oddly, it

,never grew. It didn'tdie, but during the twoyears I lived in thathouse, it neversprouted a leaf..Mov-ing to phoenix nineyears ago, I was re-minded of that grape

, ivy. Leaving it behind.for the next inhabitants, the resoluteplant' became emblematic for me of,so many of our cities today that,while surviving, are clearly notthriving.

Just as we are 'a P3rtOf nature, soare our habitats, incl1}ding-9w.-.sLtj~~Many of ourexpreSsfons:jffi'-plicitlY;;I1;;'~ac\ai.owledge this organic quality. ofplaces. For instance, we typically de--scribe a d,dl plaee as "lacking char-acter" in cOIltrast to a "lively" place.However, many of our, often well"in-tentioned efforts over the last half'

,

"

,

' '

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'

century have unfortunately drained: '''''',

this life from our, cities, contributing ,',' ,to a declining sense ofcommuniiy', "c /.,:> "c"-, ..', , , ", 'THEREPUBLICalong with a growing perception of'-~,MY-Flo':ist cafeiwillo Grocery in Phoenbds an e'xample,of a'.sharing oppo!'tunity,~ The integrated retail concept has numerous

rear and isolation.' : -,. ,'" ,> ''ecbjiorroicandsodaLbenefits, all partof'the "ntegral'lfrbanism approach to City living. ',,'

In recent years, this sorrystate{)r~ .. " ,', ", ,:'-:' 'c' ': '"affairs has inspir~ a 1110re:pro~ve<,A ' ' celiter With an outdoor' ainpIiitheater a sense of community: Since the keyapproach that I describ~'!IS. Int~graI,' :' and dining area. Classrpoms' feir, ctlll-, is bringing activities together, thisUrbanism. Integr;l!Urb;miSrii re- c':,' dren become cli15sroomS for adultS can be accomplished without in-uniteiiactivities, ~t hav(£'l?.e~,sepa~', andothe~ progi-iuris in the evening. 'creasing building density, or increas-ratea"':'living, worJQng,'Je:UJ.rlng,' ," PeOria shares a p~blic library with. , fng it only slightly.creating, and recrea:ting'::':':'hark;enirig,'.~, one of its high schpols,!IJld partners, . Rather than discard frayingaIidbackto pre-industrial times, but nbw;~ With the school diStrictS to build tomurbim fabrics, ,an Integral Ur-

With a postfudustrial sheen. "~i.:;,~,:;, municipal swimming p'ools andcoor- banism seeks to mend their seams"In the Phoenix metropolitanre1,'j ,,,;: dinate scheduling for ~por4 activ- by preserving what we value, fixing

gion, such "sharing opportunities" ities. Glendale shares a public library what may, be underperforming;,andhave been occurring with numerous, with Mountain Ridge High School, adding what we do not have yet, buteconomic and social benefits. Mixe4~", ,," , ,Jo.H':'SEVERSON/THEREPUBLlCAvo~dale is buildingpne initSAgua would like to have. Applyingthisap-use developments such as Artisan' ';',';:,laGraride Oral)ge;s mix of grocery, cafe, Fria High school:a1ifi Chandler Hig4 ,proach to urban de"eloP111ent inCommons in downtown Phoenix, ,,';;.,;'pizzeria and florist integrates retail. School shares a;lBige theaterana" PhoeIrix and other cities would offer

The y:alein :I'empeand.Kieriand , " , gallery with the community. the soul food necessary for revital-Commomin' northeaSt"phoenix are use" schools, and cOmplunity centers Expanding this space-sharing con- ~ation, allowing them and' us toproving popular among residents, are sharing visuaIand performing cept onto the larger scale to generate blossom and truly thrive. Not merelyand patrons. Instances of integrated arts spaces as 'well as libraries and -,vital hubs through°':1tth~ metropoli- survive. '

,retail include La Grande Orange gro- - recreational areas With the largettanregioIi would rediice;drivingandcery /cafejpizzeria/florist; Bentley' community. Lastyeai,.Maryvale eele- eommuiiUg; offer greater con-ve-Projects/City Bakery, The Counter brated the opening of a state-of-the- nience, ,conserve the natural environ-luncheonette/grocery /boutique" and art community center /h'brary /audi- ment, preserve, existing buildingsMy Florist Cafe/Willo Grocery. , torium/recreational area at 51staIid aiid' neighborhoods, provide interest-

Thanks: in large paItto an. increaSo' ',Cambbell Avenu;.", Tn PAn";' . 'n'1;rI-, in" rI ..fQ ,,~1-".nnnr1"~' r1;~;n;.1.

Nan Ellin is director, of the Urban andMetropolitan Studies Program in ASU's,School of Public Affairs, College ofPublic Programs. Her new book,"Intevrnl TT~~n~;-'- ",. 0- 0" ..

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politan Studies Program at Arizona StateUniversiiy, where she teaches a class on".:,=-,,,,,,,,' placema~ing and commu-

,j , nity-building. Ellin collab-I i corated with Edward

j t ,Booth-Clibbom on Phoe-i t' ,nix:21st-CenturyCity, a1 t boo~aboutthecreative.' '~"" .,., emergence of this rapidlygrowing metropolitan region, We as~ed Blinto recommend some boo~ that can help usenhance our quality of life along with oursenseofwell~being, "

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The Geography of Nowhere

By James Howard KunstlerSimon&Schuster,1993 "

Spanning the past three centuries of Ameri.can urban history, this boo~ recounts a sorrytale of losing the urban wisdom that charac-terized our pre-automobileccitles. Kunstl~r's .acerbic, funny, highly opinionated and hu-mane take on the American city has spurredmany to change their jives and revitaliz"theircities and towns"

Native to Nowhere

ByTimothy BeatleyIslandPress.2004 '

'This book offersmydadStrategiesforen-hancing our sense of place, includihg' livelyurban-park networks. adaptive reuse of older,buildings, and infrastructure as art, Street,

celebrations. intergenera~ioral cer,.t~arid. :

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The Creative C'1t)' ,,',

The Art of City Making

ByCharles Landry-TheCreaiiveCity,2000; ,

The Art of City Ma~ing.2007.

Landry explains the central importance of,human creativity and innovation for successin the 21st,century city:.Thesebooks assessthe gtobar shift to a netWork economy'cpor-tray exemplary decision-ma~ers who are or-ganizIng and managil'lg urban revitalizationwith a "new mind-set," and offer a wealth of

guidellryes,andideasfor improving~ity life.'

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" A' \ " ndtheh, jt1,s~tqsho.w' 'selfc~nscio.¥s~~ss, c.1o.senessto. . WheD:th~se bright ~hildren , tients,. a 13-year'.' ' ' them, rll s~tM.:[{a~r\; ad!,!~~jan,4\;mterestm fantasy." start sWltchmg o.ffthelr o.wn head-m-the-clm

,,', Tro.o.,and bring back ," '13uf;thewo.rd is no.less po.wer- lights, to.avo.idbeing-branded him o.ffto.scho.(,",' "an It-Kutch, aPreep, ful fo.r its vagueness: Children in- nerds, it is bad news fo.t everyo.ne tracksuit bo.tto.rr

, and a Pro.o.,a Nerkle,a Nerd,and tuitivdyunderstand what a nerd - and fo.rthe eco.no.my.Anderegg the o.ther childna Seersucker, to.o.!;'That'typically, is, with ferribJe clarity. ' po.in~ to.declining scho.o.lper-' a result, he wasnifty passage co.mesfro.mDr. The bo.tto.mline, Anderegg ", fo.rmanceand Anderegg reqSeuss' If I Ran the Zoo. The bo.ok recko.ns,is that American kids ' college enro.ll- it was to.persualwas published in 1950 ahd con-' , grow up kno.wingthat "nerds are ment in science co.nsiderbuyingtains the first use o.fthe wo.rd' bad imdjo.cksare go.od."(His fo.- subjects in Amer- o.fjeans. Why sh

Th U ban 0 si n Read "nerd.'" ,'" cus is exclusively ~erican. I~, ' ica ahd to the sco.ffed:We lovee r , . ~g ; ~,r Ho.w very unfo.rtunate.thatDr.' many o.ther Co.untrles, academl-fact that emplo.y-' we want to. tead

Editedby MichaelLariceand ElizabethSeuss, who.severbal pyrotechnics cally high-achieving children are ers in certain o.ther kids make'Macdonald' have given so.much pleasure to.so. revered by their peers.) And this, fields are no.w pearance, he sho.,Taylor&Francis,2007 many children, sho.uldalSo.'have matters because'tbese stereo.types havin~ to.lo.o.k the end, they wejThisisthebookIwishIhadasagraduate givel,1them,howeverinno.cently, beco.inethe basisfor cho.icesthat ' 0 S' f abro.aq,to.find pro.vedwrong.T]studentbecauseit assembleskeycontribu- ' the ghastly.label "ne!d." children make abo.uttbei~ future. air'p:o~I~,0 the bestgradu- jeans, and the bu;tionsto city buildinginonehandyvolume.It ' , , The pr~clse meanmg o.fthe , . An~eregg~raw~o.nsco.reso.f gaveus the ates. , An~ere&,gco.ncpresents43cla'ssicandcontemporaryselec-' wo.rd (m ~tspo.st-Seussse.nse)lS l~tefVlewswlth his yo.~ngpa- , word"nerd." ,Parents are practical tips fo.r:tions,includingFredericklawOlmstedon h~d to.Pl!!down,as D.aVldAnde- tlents to.sho.wwha~bemgcalleda " partly to.bl~e. ~e can ?fferby WIparks,le Corbusieronthe moderncityand regg~a chlld p~ych.olo.g1stand aca- pe!d can do.to.~ child. .S?me are Jo.~klsh~are~ts may teach thelr. lSto.p~mt out thllewisMumfordonthegardencity. demlc, argues m hlStho.':lghtful dnven to.despaIr o.~~Ulclde.But chIldren Jo.ckIsh~ays. But nerdlsh get easier, fo.rnen

, ',' and warmly sympathetic' bo.o.k ro.o.stco.peby bendmg to.peer parents are o.ftenJust as culpable. they get o.lder.Ev";', . '. , ",',. , Nerds:Who they Are and Why pressure."The kidswho.will re- Their indifferenceo.rhigh-min- us wo.rko.utthat]

Lpokfoic.odditi(jnalbookcoye!ageJn WeNeed Moreof Them.It ,ie- allybe hurt by thenerd/geek dednesscan inaqvertentlybring' to.go.ha1\din hait}tOday'sA&Esectiort,'?!qdorrTuesdCiyin no.tesabundle o.fdifferentquali'- stereotypesare tlie kiqswho.will miseryon their children.' ,than-average lev~j.,.~ri~~f1a[iYirg" ' '., 'I' .. ...' , ties: "so.meco.mbinatio.no.fscho.o.l shut down parts of themselves in Anderegg tells a funny and creativity and entJ

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By Tom Borrup.Fieldstone Alliance, 2006

Focusing on arts and cultureas'critical catal-

ysts for econorpic imd,4rban'revitalization,this how-to book on cre~tiv~'community-buildingis user-ft\endly." " " .'"" "

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THE EC9NOMI,ST

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OPINIONS

NORTHEAST PHOENIX

REPUBLIC

. ----..--..-.-

3 THE PHOENIX REPUBLIC- WEDNESDAY, MARCH.26, 200B mGENERAL MANAGER:

Michael Ryan, 602-444-5810

OPINIONS EDITOR:Richard de Uriarte, 602-444-8912

VISIT OUR BLOG:Go to blogs.azcentraLcomand click on Plugged In - Phoenix

Your voice counts

E-mail:centraLietters@arizonarepublic.coo/l!"Fax:602-444"7985Mail: Letters to the Editor, Northeast Phoenix:Republic, P.O. Box

2244, Phoenix, AZ 85002 ' 13 ~Please include your name, address and phon"lWmber.Please limit letters to 200 words and columns 1'0400 words.

MY TU.RN

-, 'Canalvillages'couldbecomePhoenixlegacyAE

terdam has 47 miles of ca-. . nals.Venice125.And phoenix

...181!Yet, Amsterdam andVenice are widely known and laudedfor their stunning canal-orientedcityscapes, while phoenix has largelyturned its back on this tremendous

. asset. Sure, we use the canals for rec-reation and have been engaged in ca-nal enhancements - public art,benches, landscaping and shade struc-tures - for years. But we have failed

.to leverage the opportu-nity to create special.places along the canalsthat combine live, workand play. .

I'm not suggesting weurbanize the length ofour canals. Indeed, wemust preserve the vastmajority of these sceniccanals as they are. It iscurious, however, that

the places where our modem streetgrid intersects with the canal system,initially built by the first inhabitantsof this region from 100 B.C. until AD.1450, are largely neglected. The odd-shaped-lots yielded by:the overlap ofthe two systems has discouraged de-velopment in a city .accustomed to .right angled-lots. A5 we sp~ed overthe canals in our cars, we may seethem from the comer of our eyes, ornot notice them at all.

I propose we assist these uglyducklings to grow into beautifulswans by creating ".canal villages,"small urban hubs where canals meetmajor streets. -

Each neighborhood would deter-mine the nature of their canal village.It might feature cafes, !estaurants andboutiques on the ground level withoffices and condos above. It could of-fer a community Cl'nter, library, postoffice, affordable housing and marketrate rental apartments. Perhaps a gro-cery; health club, bike shop andschool, with assisted living for se-niors. The canal village might be onestory or more. It could blend with itssurroundings or stand out. It mightinclude public art by local schoolchil-dren or established artists. It coulddemonstrate green building practices,including sustainable water featuresthat recycle water from the canals.Communities would gather to makethese decisions during a half-day

" I prop'ose we assist these.

ugly dp.cklings to grow into beautiful swims by creating'canal villages: small urban hubs where canals meet major streets."

Nan Ellin .Her view on Phoenix canals,including this,Spot near 32nd Street and Missouri Avenqe

workshop facilitated by the munici-palities.

The only requirement would bethat ground floor uses are public andoriented to the canal as well as thestreet. Southbridge, a project devel-oped by visionary developer Fred Un-ger along the southern bank of theArizona Canal in Scottsdale, offers anexcellent example of such mixed-usecanal and street-oriented urban devel-opment. While this project is situatedin the middle of an existing down-town, I'm suggesting we apply Un-ger's model to these neglected parcelsof our urban fabric.

The benefits of such "can-urbandevelopment" are many. While pro-viding desired amenities to neighbor-hoods, the canal villages would alsobecome a trademark Phoenix feature.Phoenix would become known world-wide for its unique canal villages.While each neighborhood would haveits Own canal village, with its distinctcharacter, people would also enjoyvisiting others around town. UnlikeAmsterdam'and Venice, much smallercities with urbanized canals through-

out, phoenix's trademark would bedistributed canal villages, reflectingits unique quality of-being a "net-work" city as well as a region thatcreatively intersperses lirban livinginto a breathtaking desert landscape.

By offering comfortable and beauti-ful places next to the water, the canalvillages will contribute to provide.a.sense of place,: a sense of history; a'sense ofidentity and a sense of com-munity. The orientation toward thecanal would bring people in contactwith it more regularly, cultivating re-spect for o~ .heritage as well as ourprecious water supply. For the thou-sands who use the canal banks every-day for recreation,there will. finallybe a place to stop for .something todrink, a bite to eat. or to. use the rest-rooms. .

In addition, the 'canal villageswould contribute to urban regenera-tion and economic revitalization. Thezoning overlay and incentives pro-vided by municipalities to supportthis kind of development could evenspur the currently sluggish economy.

Rather than neglect the leftover

parcels that depart from the repetitivegrid, I say we honor t4ese. momentswhere modem and ancient civiliza-tions meet, realizing the long-term re-gional development framework envi-sioned two decades ago by Salt RiverProject, Arizona State University, theJunior League and seven Valley-citiesin a Metropolitan canal StUdy. Ratherthan turn our backs to the canals, let'scelebrate the birth of our state by enChancing what gave birth to our~egionand provides our lifeblood. .

We could identify a location for thefirst canal village and open it for Ari-zona's centennial, with a plan to con-tinue this,pattern of developmentthroughout the region over.,the next100 years. These vibrant hubs alongthe .canals would enhance lOur lives inso many ways and leave a special leg-acy: . - .' t. .

Nan 'EIIin,Ph.D., is director of the UrbanEtMetropolitan Studies Program inASU's School of Public Affairs, CollegeofPtlblii:Prograrm, located on thedowntown Phoenix 'ct/7J1pus. ' -She can be reacheiI"a1naii.elIin@asu.edu.

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PHOENIX

Boldideasfordesertmetropolis

By Tom ZoellnerThe ArizonaRepublic

Giant colorful ribbonsstrung over the streets.Vacant lots turned into

date palm farms. A chain ofnewspaper and candy kiosks.

These are some of the un-conventional and oddly ap-pealing concepts for down-town,Phoenix to come out ofthe hothouse of ideas at theArizona State UniversitySchool of Architecture.

Nan Ellin, associate profes-sor and author of the bookSlash City: To-wards an Inte-gral Urban-ism, encour-ages her stu-dents tostretch theircreativitywhen thinkingabout ways tobring morelife to Ari-zona's pre-mier urban core.

"Downtown lacks dyna-mism," she said. "We need tohave an urbanism that's ap-propriate to the topography.We need to have somethingnobody else has, somethingexciting."

Ellin believes there arefour basic guidelines to rein-vigorating Phoenix: democ-racy, diversity, dynamismand density.

This last point has a crucialshade of meaning. Instead ofhigh-rises, Ellin visualizespoints of congregation for pe-destrians, such as librariesnext to day-care centers nextto coffee bars.

"We don't want to be ahuge dense Manhattan," shesaid. "That's not us. We're adesert metropolis. We want alow-density urbanism of vari-ous things that bring people

. together."

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NanEllin

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2 SATURDAY, JUNE28', 2003' _oi 41

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THE ARIzONA REPUBIlC'. ,

Editorials represent the position of The Arizona Republic, whose Editorial Board consists of PhilBoas, Richard deUriarte, Jennifer Dokes,Cindy Hernandez, Kathleen Ingley,Doug MacEachern,Joel Nilsson. Dan Nowicki,O. Ricardo Pimentel. Robert Robb, Paul Schatt, LindaValdez, KenWestern and Steve Benson~ . .

EDITORIAL. .

OpportunitiesaboundforurbanintellectualOurstand:Take a look at downtown

for ways to be happier,more aware

T he downtown worker went to hear. an urban expert: Nan Ellin, an as-

sociate professor in the ArizonaState University ' School of Architectureand Environmental Design and an ac::-complished scholar in urban form.

She spoke in general themes and of-fered specific, vivid examples.

"We need more people downtown 24hours a day, seven days a week," she toldthe group, which had gathered at theASU Downtown Center campus. "Morehousing downtown would not only in-crease the amount of people walkingdowntown, it would also decrease thenumber of workers who commute."

Ellin talked of building links connect-ing distinct places important to city life.She explained how different elements ofthe city can coexist side by side, addingto the richness of life. Visit PiestewaPeak, she advised. Thke in the differentelements: The desert vegetation, the drywashes meandering to the lush Biltmorearea; downtown high-rises in the dis- .

tance, with South Mountain and the bluesky.in the background.

An impressive image, the officeworker agreed.

How lucky he was to hear the profes-sor's talk.

But there's a larger truth too: Howmuch ASU's extended campus has addedto the cultural, intellectUal and social lifeof the city.

Practically every week of the summer,there's a brown bag lunch lecture or apanel discussion. Oh, 'some of the topicsare,a bit highbrow. Yet much of the sum-mer program involves practical stuff forbusy workers: "Secrets of Successful Or-ganizing" and ''The Importance of Per-sonal Skills m Career Success." .

Clearly, the ASU campus in the Mer-cado, at Fifth and. Monroe streets, hasbrought intellectUal stimulaQon and en-ergy to daily life in our'city's downtown.

But so has the Phoenix Public Library,which similarly offers occasionallec-tures, art exhibits and Thursday "lunchtalks," often celebrating the diverse cul- '

tures that make up our city. These nor-mally attract decent audiences, but mostof us overlook them in our daily work-day and commuter rush.

As ASU's commitment extends beyondTempe, to ASU West and to downtown,these community-minded events willarise even more.

We will all be richer, happier and moreaware.

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EXECUTIVEPROFILE

ASUproftryingto helpPhoenixfindurbanidentityBy Erica,$agon

The Arizona Republic

If NanEllin could pick anoffice, it might be a table atLux Coffeebar.

With her cup of tea andbundle of paperworkperched on a table, the Ari-ZonaState University profes-sor of architecture jokes thatit should be her office be-

. cause she spends so muchtime meeting colleagues andfriends at the artsy, industri-al-style cafe on Central Av-enue in Phoenix.

"I get a feel for a place.Cities have their own per-sonality :and culture," Ellinsaid. "It took me awhile to un-derstand Phoenix."

Phoenix has a more secre-tive urban culture ~ othermetropolitan locales she haslived in: New York, Southern~alifornia, Paris and Madrid.In fact, that is what hils keptEIIin in Phoenix and at ASUfor cilmost seven years. It'sthe longest she has' stayedanywhere. .

'Incredible lab'"I thought this was an in-

credible lab," Ellin said. "Thereason I'm interested as anurban-design practitionerand scholar is that it's a fasci-nating clty to me."

The boundaries of the Val-ley push farther.out each day,and sprawl will always existhere. .

She caIIs it "a Phoenicianthing." But EIIin, a self-de-scribed urbanist- who. shud-ders at fhe mention of mas-ter-planried communities, isprescribing revitalization inthe core. .

'Phoenix needs more livelypedestrian-friendly hubs likethe Lux and its neighbors, orthe cluster of ~dependentrestaurants and retailers' at40th Streetand Campbell Av-

. enue in east Phoenix, home toLa Grande Orange Grocery,Postino WmeCafe and IndigoHome furniture and accesso-ries shop.

"It's so small, if you thinkabout it. Allwe need are hubslike that," Ellin said. "Wejustneed a lot more of that."

Coinmunity leaders havebeen eager. to 'hear Ellin'sideas on everything down-town, from revitalization tothe art scene to ASU's plansfor a downtown campus. EIIinsometimes has to remind her-'self that she has a day job:teaching architecture atASU. -

She often feels pulled intwo directions as a practi-tioner and an academic, butshe's finding. that. her twoworlds are colliding more of-ten.

From 2000to 2002,she wasone of five people who partic-ipated in a series of discus-sions on downtown revital~ization, lectbyPat Grady, dierector of the Pboenix Depart~ment of Community and Eco-nomic Development. ,

. She also .consulted withPhoenix Mayor Phil Gordonwhc;m,.he Was mayor-electabout ideas for downtown re-vttaIizhtion. .

ASU President 1\fichaelCrowpla<.:edEllinon the com-mittee to 'select.thearchitectsfor, .the' dowp-town .campus.Ellin; the only faculty mem-beron the committee, helpedpick Baltimore-basedAyers/Saint/Gross. Ellin isals().theonly faculty memberon'the executive committeewho meets with the architec-ture firm monthly.

In April, she was invited topresent sOIrieof her work ondowntown revitalization tothe campus architects ~dfive local architecture firms.

John Meunier, who wasdean of the College of A,rch,i-

tecture and EnvironmentalDesign from 1987 to 2002,knows Ellin as a critic and ob-server of the urban scene, assomeone with "clear-eyed re-flection of what's actuallyhappening.". "She's got herself verydeeply involved in Phoenix,"MeUnier said, "and particu-larly in the newly emergingarts district in Phoenix. Prob-ably because of her, we'vehad a lotof events at the Mon-orchid (gallery). ... They'veattracted a very interestingaudience. Everyone from lo-cal community activists tothe power brokers of thecity."

Books and ideasEllin often conveys her

ideas through books andother publications. She wrotePostmodern. Urbanism;which was published in 1~96.She followed with Architec-ture of Fear in 1997,a bookabout fortress architecturethat received attention afterSept. 11, 2001.

While on sabbatical, shewill finish Slash City, whichis a more prescriptive fol-low-up to her first.book. Ev-eryother month since Febru-ary 2002, Ellin addresses is-sues in shade, an urban cul-ture minimagazine in Phoe-nix.

"She has an extraordinaryability to capture compli-cated ideas and memorablephrases," Meunier said.

"A lot of what we do needsto be something that the com-munity can understand andremember, and, unfortu-nately, many architectsaren't very good with words.But she's exceptionally goodwith words."

Reach the r~porter aterica.sagon@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-7353.

ArizonaState University

NanEllinWho: Associate professor inthe College of Architectureand Environmental Design atArizona State University.Previous work: Assistantprofessor at Arizona StateUniversity, assistant professorof urban design and planningat the University of Cincinnati,faculty member at theSouthern California Instituteof Architecture, visitingassistant professor for theurban and regional planning

program at the University ofSouthern California,instructor in the metropolitanstudies program at New YorkUniversity.Education: Ph.D. in urbanplanning, ColumbiaUniversity, 1994; master's inanthropology, ColumbiaUniversity, 1983; bachelor's inanthropology and Hispanicstudies, Bryn Mawr College,1981.Hometo\f.ll1:Baltimore.

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I

Q&A: NAN ELLIN

EyeSlashesNan Ellin loves to blur lines. Or maybe it's the city that blurs lines

and Ellin simply loves to watch. Her new book, Integral Urbanism

(Routledge, 2006) provides an accurate portrait of the urbanzeitgeist, in all ItS mixed-use glory. Ellin, who is Director of the

Urban and Metropolitan Studies Program at Arizona State

University, chats here about some of ;U's finer points. -MJ

What is integral urbanism?

Although we are the most evolved of all species, we're the onlyone with an unsustainable habitat. Perhaps we are too clever

Sometimes, we outsmart ourselves because we have the ability

to see what we want to see - to be in denial - rather than see

things for what they are. Integral urbanism happens when we

de-fragment our landscape, just as we de-fragment our

computers so they can operate more effectively Urban

fragmentation engenders social isolation and leads to economic:-I

24 DESERTLIVING

decline. When we re-integrate our cities, we achieve synergies,

efficiencies, and vitality. I try to cast a clear-eyed gaze upon the

'city' and search for ways to create integral urbanism.

There's a chapter in your book called "Slash City (/city)."This is one solution?

When we bring things together, we "slash" them, a common

example being a bookstore/coffee shop/gallery. If the slashing is

successful, each component supports the other. These hybrids

are growing in number because their dynamism attracts people

and are therefore good business.

Can you give us a concrete example of slashing in, say,Phoenix?

Although it's most obvious in major mixed-use infill

developments which combine living, working, and playing, look

at the eating/shopping combos at La Grande Orange or The

Counter at I<ierland Commons. The most interesting examples of

slashing happen organically. Urban pioneer Vine Saccento,

owner of Drip Coffeehouse is working on a slashy

bakery/salon/bike shop at 7th and Sheridan while another

innovator, artist/developer Sloane McFarland, is developing a

sustainable urban/rural strip mall retrofit at Baseline and 16th

Streets. McFarland is the one behind the slashy swatch on

Central of Lux Coffeebar, Pane Bianco, and Passage boutique.

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The growth of Phoenix seems haphazard. Where is thiscity going wrong?The Integral Urbanism approach is to preserve, enhance, and add- in that order. The first question to ask is 'What do we value

(buildings, businesses, neighborhoods) and how can we

preserve these?' Then, we ask, 'What do we have that could be

enhanced?' Finally, we think about what we could add that we

don't already have. In many instances, the city of Phoenix has

reversed that order, thinking first about what we should add, at

the expense of preserving what we value. The city needs to

incentivize new creative entrepreneurship. There are hundreds of

Phoenicians who would quit their jobs tomorrow to start a

business if the city could offer small start-up grants along with

development services to acquire and renovate existing buildings.

If we were to select 100 of these entrepreneurs on a competitive

basis to start a restaurant, cafe, gallery, bookstore, boutique,

grocery, hardware store, yoga studio, pharmacy, school, health

club, pet shop, film studio, bike shop, wine bar, jewelry store, or

whatever, we could have an exciting and vibrant downtown

within a year.

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Make a slash combo that just might work.

I bet a daycare/tai chi/speed dating/sushi bar has potential.

* Integral Urbanism can be purchased at Changing Hands,

Poisoned Pen, Made, and other bookstores

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Alongstanding fixture in downtown Phoenix'spush toward urban revitalization, Nan EUin(Director of Urban and Metropolitan Studies

at ASU's downtown campus) has often negotiatedthe fine line between academic and practitioner.She is a Fulbright Scholar who holds a Ph.D.from Columbia University and the noted authorof Postmodem Urbanism (1996; revised edition,1999) and Architecture of Fear (1997>. Her newbook, Integral Urbanism, outlines a counter-ideotogy.to the pervasive dilemma of urban sprawl

For our interview, Etlin delves deep into theurban psyche of Phoenix:

You hove often stated that Phoenix is agreat lab in which to study urbanism. Whataspects here intrigueyou most?.

Phoenix is an ideal locale for demonstratingthe best practices in sustainability through adaptingtechniques from older desert cities around theworld as welt as applying new materials, designstrategies, open space networks, urban refores~tation and innovative public policy. In addition,

efforts throughout metro Phoenix to create vita!hubs of mixed-use density make this regiona great lab for urban and suburban revitalization.Metro Phoenix also offers an interesting studyfor other cities due to its networked patternof settlement, as opposed to the tree ring patternof concentric circles. The tree ring pattern, withits downtown, suburbs and countryside, wastypical of older pre-industrial and industrialcities. Over the last hatf-century, however, mostplaces have been growing along the polycentricmodel that has always characterized Phoenix.

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With the slew of new improvements andurban infiU downtown, which projects (if any)hold promise as pedestrian-oriented hubs?

These hubs wilt grow along the light railline, most intensely of course around thestations. Other opportunities exist where thereis a concerted attempt to combine a variety ofuses, such as the current proposal for Fillmore,.between First and Second Streets, to accommodate

VaUey youth Theatre, other arts-related activities,

retail, office and housing. A third location forthese hubs would be adjacent to valued publicspaces, such as parks and significant public artworks. Unfortunately, such valued public spacesare sorely lacking in downtown Phoenix. Hope-fully, this will change as the city undertakesan initiative to enliven and beautify its publicspace network.

WiU sprawl always be a part of Phoenix?If so, why?

Low-density development is somethingthat will always be a part of Phoenix becauseit offers a quality of life that people value, featuringspaciousness, proximity to nature and magnificentviews. The downsides of sprawl-auto-dependence,isolation and environmental devastation-can

be ameliorated by creating mixed-use hubsof density and by identifying networks of openspace for conservation. It is also importantto offer urban alternatives for those who preferto live, work, and/or play in medium to high-density places.

From where did the inspiration for IntegralUrbanism emerge?

like an of us, I am a creature of the placeI live. crowing up in Baltimore, I developed a deepappreciation for places with soul, characterand vitality. Living later in New York City, Paris,Madrid and Los AngeLes, I watched and won-dered about the range of cultural responsesto what I call our urban instinct. At the same time,

I was watching and wonying about the pathologiesof places, from social isolation and economic declineto environmental and public health probLems.I wanted to know how we could recover our

urban instinct in the contemporary context,without trying to revert to an earlier time.I began by examining our condition and makinga diagnosis. That's what I was doing in myprevious books, which were mainLy descriptive.With Integral Urbanism, I was finally readyto move from description to prescription.

What principles of integral urbanismdo you see emerging in Phoenix? »

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