Priority Issues
Downtown Voices Coalition welcomes you to review the planning document, “Downtown Voices: Creating a Sustainable Downtown,” that was developed in the Spring of 2004. The full report is available for preview and download here. Note that Adobe Reader is needed to view this file; download the software for free here. Summaries of priority issues outlined in the report are highlighted below:
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Coordination of Planning: The downtown planning process should be transparent and inclusive. The planning process should be slowed down to a thoughtful pace that includes real citizen participation from the ground up, and includes a committee of downtown stakeholders such as neighborhood groups, non-profit organizations, small business owners, and cultural institutions.
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Design Guidelines: Establish appropriate scale and density for each local neighborhood. Discourage “super blocks” that focus energy inward and cut off access and circulation to and from adjacent streets.
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Locally Owned Business: Sustain a unique and thriving downtown by choosing to invest in our local economy, cultivate consumer choice, and encourage cultural diversity by nurturing small, locally owned businesses. The City should be willing to effectively “co-sign” for any developer who is willing to place locally owned businesses in new projects, and offer incentives to developers who seek out local businesses as tenants. Fifty percent of the businesses located in the Phoenix Convention Center should be locally owned. A study should be initiated to show the positive impact locally owned businesses have on the economy and use these findings to engage potential lenders and developers, and to inform policy makers.
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Neighborhoods: Adopt a “do no harm” approach to redevelopment. Eminent domain should not be used for private projects or private/public partnerships; land for these projects should be acquired in the same manner as any other private, commercial development. Empty land should be taxed at a higher rate to discourage speculation and the destruction of historic structures. On a similar note, owners of abandoned or boarded up buildings should be penalized if negligent, or perhaps given financial aid if applicable, to rehabilitate their properties. Neighborhood Services, law enforcement, and Parks & Recreation should have their budgets adjusted to meet increased demand on services in downtown Phoenix.
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Affordable Housing: Pass a Tax Increment Financing Bill (TIF), support a real-estate transfer fee, create public-private partnerships, develop City assistance for financing and tax reduction, reduce infrastructure costs, recycle tax-delinquent abandoned or surplus properties — all toward the goal of creating more affordable housing. Revise the Building Code to include more affordable and innovative building technologies. There is a need for regulatory relief if the city is to foster new affordable housing projects. Follow the lead of other major cities by mandating a percentage of every market-rate housing development be targeted for low-income families and individuals.
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Historic Preservation: Historic designation proceedings need to be streamlined, with a maximum of 120 days for completing the process. Ordinances need to be strengthened and strictly enforced to discourage illegal demolition of historic structures. Demolition approval should be denied when there is evidence of deterioration by deliberate neglect. Ways should be explored to encourage adaptive re-use of historic buildings, including older structures that may not qualify for historic designation.
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Arts and Culture: The City should create a task force, including downtown artists, to research opportunities and ways to preserve and nurture existing arts uses downtown and explore realistic approaches to funding sources, zoning issues, building codes, live/work space, etc. and their implementation. The arts need to be recognized and respected as the small businesses they are, and assisted in accessing services available to small businesses, or have programs tailored specifically to their needs. The City should take advantage of piggyback marketing opportunities, acknowledging the opportunities associated with monthly First Fridays and annual Art Detour.
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Public Spaces: Strive for design excellence by conducting national or international competitions for the design of any new public space downtown. Public places and spaces should reflect different characteristics suited to community needs. Downtown needs pocket parks, slices of nature, urban trails, community gardens, and recreational spaces for all ages. A tax or fee on new development could go toward supporting the development and/or maintenance of public spaces downtown. Downtown developers should be required to include open, public spaces in their projects — whether an ASU campus, private retail development, new housing, or civic projects. Support an Urban Oasis project that knits together empty, unimproved spaces throughout downtown.
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Transportation: Encourage all forms of mobility (walking, bicycling, skateboarding, carpooling, light rail, buses, etc.) with an emphasis on environmentally-friendly technology. Parking downtown can be reduced by promoting the use of light rail, buses, and carpooling. Adding more curbside parking will slow down traffic. Provide shuttles from outlying parking areas. Link open, public spaces for green zones and art activities with pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets. Develop a system of urban trails.
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Diversity and Cultural Inclusion: Diversity takes many forms — ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, education, economic — and should be nurtured on all levels whether through cultural/ethnic celebrations, gay pride parades, children’s activities, or family oriented festivals. Public spaces downtown can encourage increased utilization by Valley residents, attracting more diverse populations. We should strive to create a bilingual society (Spanish and English) so we can better communicate with each other. Committees established to study and advise City officials on downtown planning should include representatives from neighborhoods that will be affected the most by the potential long and short-term consequences of redevelopment. Minority businesses should be recruited to locate downtown and given financial incentives if necessary. A marketplace for indigenous peoples to market their goods and services should be encouraged.
