Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering
| Hosted Conversation – Community Justice Board | ||
| 32 N Stone Ave, Tucson | ||
| Date of Conversation: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PM | ||
| Facilitator: Patrick Hartley Recorder: Christian Dickinson | ||
| Number of Tables: 1 Number of Participants: 8 | ||
| Theme 1. Affordability | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Low cost of living | ||
| Theme 2. Cultural Diversity | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Culture (diversity) | ||
| Diversity | ||
| Cultural differences | ||
| Many cultural activities-Street Fair, Meet Yourself, All Soul's Procession | ||
| Different cultures in Tucson that can be experienced | ||
| The Pima County Fair - specific activities for native Tucsonans | ||
| Theme 3. Politics | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Less Taxes | ||
| Government Structure - City Council Powers, Bi-partisanship | ||
| Theme 4. Southwestern Climate and Environment | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| The weather (desert) | ||
| Natural desert | ||
| The climate (winter weather) | ||
| The weather | ||
| Desert | ||
| Natural desert environment- the vistas | ||
| Closeness to outdoor activities around the community | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Shared values- environmental, spiritual, quality of life | ||
| A-mountain, Tumamoc | ||
| The desert - hiking trails, mountains, Gates Pass for a pretty drive | ||
| Theme 5. Neighborhoods | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Small neighborly feel in Tucson | ||
| Even though Tucson is large, it has a small town feel | ||
| Small town feel (Old Pueblo) | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Live, work, play in same area | ||
| How disconnected the communities/areas are around Tucson | ||
| Community involvement (neighbors) | ||
| Theme 6. Business Development | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Medical/Technological focus (Raytheon, UMC, etc.) | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Promotion of business | ||
| More job opportunities | ||
| Theme 7. Revitalization | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More lighting in neighborhoods | ||
| Buildings that are vacant should be filled before building new buildings | ||
| Bigger emphasis on maintaining the old houses that give Tucson character | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Because there is a higher percentage of pedestrians and cyclists near (UA) campus, the paths and lighting need improvement | ||
| Vacant buildings need foresight and planning | ||
| Need to preserve both safety and the night sky (find the middle-ground and engage decision makers) | ||
| When you have higher foot traffic, lighting is important | ||
| Preserving older architecture preserves our history | ||
| Dark neighborhoods are both good and bad | ||
| Lighting is a safety issue (unnatural lighting) | ||
| Need to preserve older architecture | ||
| Theme 8. Campus Culture and Education Opportunities | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| How involved/supportive people are of UofA (ex: sports fans) | ||
| Promotion of higher education (UA, NAU, Pima, etc.) | ||
| School Spirit (UA) | ||
| The UofA campus (college feel) | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Focus on training in public schools | ||
| Education - especially money management in schools | ||
| How prices, like tuition, keep rising | ||
| Promotion of k-12 education funding | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Charter schools need consistent standards | ||
| Alternative and charter schools aren't helping students - they just put them in front of a computer until the work is done. That's not teaching. | ||
| Schools have inconsistent teaching/grading standards | ||
| Create choice, competition in schools | ||
| Rethink how geography affects where you go to public school | ||
| We keep lowering education standards in public schools | ||
| Need to change truancy standards | ||
| More money isn't the solution, groups are always so focused on spending | ||
| Public education doesn't prepare students for college | ||
| State + federal funding =good foundation | ||
| Refocus on methods for public education (curriculum and standards) | ||
| Pima CC is very big and important too | ||
| Public education "sucking," some students take classes at Pima for an easy A | ||
| Does Davis Monthan bring more money than UofA? | ||
| UofA drives spending - is it worth it? | ||
| UofA is another downtown for Tucson (more than the actual downtown) | ||
| The University drives jobs, housing, and the economy | ||
| The community comes together around UofA | ||
| UA brings people together, creating a happier friendlier place, a healthy attitude, and community bonding | ||
| Need to improve teaching/classroom methods | ||
| Love game days (UA sports), unifies people in the community | ||
| University is a main economic driver of the region | ||
| Strength of academics in public schools varies | ||
| Theme 9. Infrastructure Improvement | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| More and safer bike lanes and paths | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| All the traffic lights make it longer to drive | ||
| More recreational space, parks, pools, paths, equestrian | ||
| Roads around town need improvement | ||
| Convenient transportation - traffic/congestion, off-ramps, easier access from W to E | ||
| Public projects, such as road maintenance - government takes forever to respond to construction problems | ||
| Better road conditions - fixing potholes | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Left turn after the light is unfamiliar to those from out-of-state | ||
| Drainage is bad, it causes potholes, and instead of fixing the drainage, they just keep filling the potholes | ||
| Bike lanes are too narrow, this causes congestion and a safety concern | ||
| Need to increase/improve public transit | ||
| It seems Tucson is always under construction | ||
| Transportation and infrastructure affects pollution, growth, economic development, and desirability | ||
| We spend too much time getting across town (East to West takes an hour of personal time), too much congestion | ||
| Consider "real" traffic laws (example: U-turns in intersections) | ||
| Conduct follow-up studies of infrastructure improvements to see if they have intended affect | ||
| Need to improve how the money is spent on road projects | ||
| Rethink system of pedestrian crossings - mid-block crossings are unsafe | ||
| Need to improve efficiency of road construction | ||
| Need to improve the safety of roads | ||
| Theme 10. Crime | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| How hot the weather can be hopping the border illegally (deaths in the desert) | ||
| Less people (growth) | ||
| Violence - gangs, drug trade/wars, human smuggling | ||
| More law enforcement (for public safety as well as jobs) | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| With growth you'll get crime - and Arizona is still growing | ||
| This is a college town with retired people- almost all of the jobs are government or military | ||
| Need to focus on where resources can best be utilized - not simply a matter of manpower in law enforcement | ||
| Law enforcement isn't necessarily the solution, we need more community-based solutions | ||
| Unclear what's fair for legal vs. illegal people | ||
| Gun laws should be reconsidered | ||
| As the economic situation worsens, crime increases | ||
| Tucson has a "Wild West" perception | ||
| High crime rate=avoidance | ||
| Need to understand what's driving the perception of crime (media and politicians) | ||
| Crime is bad for business | ||
| It is a false fear - media exaggerates crime, results in fear | ||
| The crime rates and human/drug smuggling give Tucson a negative reputation and hinders people from moving here | ||
Tuesday, December 21, 2010