Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering
| Civano Neighborhood Center | ||
| 10501 E. Seven Generations Wy, Tucson | ||
| Date of Conversation: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 Time: 6:00 – 8:30 PM | ||
| Facilitator: Tahnee Robertson Recorder: Anita Fonte | ||
| Number of Tables: 1 Number of Participants: 8 | ||
| Theme 1. Natural Environment | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Outdoor activities | ||
| Access to nature | ||
| Natural beauty | ||
| Natural beauty, outdoor opportunities | ||
| Undeveloped Sonoran desert and Sky Islands | ||
| Outdoor pursuits, biking, hiking, national parks, Mt. Lemmon | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More support for natural resources and conservation | ||
| Long term strategy for growth (sustainable) | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Federal lands means access for all income levels | ||
| Spiritual aspect to outdoors | ||
| Area is newer, fresher, brighter, dramatic | ||
| Clarity, no smog, appears to be not polluted or less polluted | ||
| I want to be outside a lot | ||
| Area is everchanging (sky scenes), has personality | ||
| Awesome skiing and mountain recreation | ||
| Mountains equal happy feelings | ||
| Having nature available improves quality of life | ||
| Area is dimensional (desert, mountains, UA) | ||
| Unlike Atlanta, NY, Boston | ||
| Accessibility to desert and mountains | ||
| Stunning mountains, close proximity of different landscapes) accessibility to mtns | ||
| Part of identity (Tucson & Sonoran Desert) | ||
| Mexican diversity, wildlife and human | ||
| Theme 2. Sustainability | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Conservation mindset | ||
| The effort towards sustainability | ||
| Excellent place for sustainability – solar energy, straw bale housing | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Increase green education on solar and water | ||
| Allow home production of eggs, food security | ||
| Recognize water as a limited resource in the desert | ||
| More incentives for green businesses, especially solar | ||
| Increase emphasis on saving water and using solar | ||
| More incentives to attract green businesses (solar in particular) to come to Tucson | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| What about our waste products? | ||
| If we went to war for oil, would we go to war for water? | ||
| Costs of water and transportation will further divide haves and have nots | ||
| Water and transportation are needed to maintain quality of life | ||
| It's a no brainer to use solar (the effort started in the 1970s) and have green businesses | ||
| Ecosystem will be destroyed if we don't change it | ||
| It's just rude (see related comment on ecosystem) | ||
| Limited resources; we need water to maintain our quality of life | ||
| It's our children's future and it's our present – example: mines use of water | ||
| Theme 3. People Centered Planning | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Bike friendly city | ||
| Parks and schools are hidden inside neighborhoods | ||
| Grid layout makes it easy to get around | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Reality or view of the “Southside” as a ghetto | ||
| Lack of leadership | ||
| Lack of sense of history | ||
| More respect for the historic areas and buildings of the city. | ||
| More places for teens and young adults to hang out | ||
| Lack of recreation for kids, especially in summer; pools closed and too expensive | ||
| Rotten transportation system, no buses to eastside, no light rail | ||
| More town centers, less sprawl, mixed use through the city | ||
| Like BART | ||
| Hodge-podge feeling of layout of different areas within city | ||
| Town centers vs. urban sprawl, mixed use areas | ||
| Walkable shopping districts | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Need more youth activities, positive options vs. gangs; Question Posed by Participant: What is happening with Downtown Revitalization and Rio Nuevo? | ||
| Frustrating to not be able to choose transportation alternatives | ||
| Less car driving will lead to fewer teen deaths behind the wheel | ||
| Is more sustainable, cheaper, safer | ||
| It, ie. people center planning, builds community, it allows for local economy (farmers, businesses, etc) | ||
| Less isolation, better mental health | ||
| Crummy city layout creates isolation | ||
| Theme 4. Tucson/Region Culture and Arts | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| El Tour | ||
| Charity and volunteerism here in Tucson – Community Food Bank | ||
| Proximity to the university and what it offers (music, arts, cool science stuff,young people and more diversity) | ||
| Mexican food | ||
| Diversity of the population (from all ages, different locations and cultures) makes a community | ||
| Museums, folk festivals, LAYA, 4th Ave festival, rodeo, fair | ||
| Tucson Meet Yourself | ||
| Many opportunities to watch the arts | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More people embracing our unique cultural diversity and celebrating it | ||
| Better know and appreciate Native culture, fry bread rules | ||
| More community events | ||
| More K-12 opportunities in the arts (dance, theater, etc.), productive outlets for young people | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Libraries are good | ||
| The city supports the arts without a major benefactor | ||
| It is a charitable town (Long Realty Cares, Community Food Bank, Thrift Stores, Faith Based Organizations) | ||
| Good parks and music opportunities | ||
| Tucson is not very ethnic (not seeing different ethnic groups) so we need more cultural events | ||
| Creates more tolerance (to teach your kids) | ||
| Quality of life: richness, mixing of cultures | ||
| Proximity to Mexico | ||
| Theme 5. Civano – Neighborliness | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| The effort to be a community | ||
| Community and neighbors who enjoy spending time together | ||
| Shared resources and amenities | ||
| Neighborhood connectivity (sense of old fashioned community) | ||
| Civano is great because everyone is friendly and willing to help each other | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Problem solving through mediation | ||
| Not culturally diverse | ||
| More amenities for children – playgrounds, etc. | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| The high school maybe (too soon to tell) encourages thinking, open mindedness, happiness, personal growth | ||
| It takes a village to raise a child and we do it | ||
| Unique environment – like a bubble | ||
| Multigenerational neighborhood is cool | ||
| Huge support system, especially for moms and aging in place | ||
| Contemporary culture is isolating; Civano supports mental health | ||
| Theme 6. Education | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Vail School District, Civano Community Schools | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More bilingual schools | ||
| State funding for education | ||
| Educational funding | ||
| Stronger relationships and partnerships among businesses, community and TUSD | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Arizona is 49 out of 50 in education funding | ||
| US us falling behind other countries | ||
| School districts could use more cooperation to plan for the future | ||
| Educational curriculum needs to match skills for 21st century | ||
| School districts can't do it alone | ||
| Attract businesses | ||
| Educational funding equals quality of life | ||
| So students have more career choices | ||
| Pay raises so teachers don't have to pay out of pocket | ||
| Question Posed by Participant: What is the long term impact of charter schools? | ||
| Theme 7. Low Income Issues (Families and Youth) | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Low paying jobs with no benefits; divisions are sharp between poverty and middle class | ||
| Not a family friendly town if you are not financially well off | ||
| No affordable daycare for families | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Economic base equals stability; low income families need more help | ||
| Need diversity in child care opportunities | ||
| Arizona social services are limited, poor quality, not functional | ||
| Low income families need more help | ||
Wednesday, September 08, 2010