Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering
| Hosted Conversation – DK Advocates | ||
| DK Advocates 1502 E. Broadway Blvd, Tucson | ||
| Date of Conversation: Thursday, December 16, 2010 Time: 12:30 – 1:30 PM | ||
| Facilitator: Patrick Hartley Recorder: Patrick Hartley | ||
| Number of Tables: 1 Number of Participants: 20 | ||
| Theme 1. Transportation and Urban Design | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More street lights and freeways | ||
| Better roads and more | ||
| Change the layout of public transportation and pedestrian crossings (build bridges for the mid-block crosswalks to cut down on fatalities and accidents | ||
| Create more pullouts to get buses out of traffic | ||
| Better parking downtown when attending music hall and convention center | ||
| Controlled growth | ||
| More mixed-use, mixed-income, high-density, housing with public transportation | ||
| Better city streets/transportation - pot holes and lights | ||
| Better transportation | ||
| Need a cross-town freeway | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Better coordination of transit- make sure it reached outlying areas (there is a lot out there) | ||
| Get away from cars for environmental reasons, make the transit system work better | ||
| Make public transit so people want to use it. Change its image so it's not only used out of necessity, but as a choice | ||
| We need better buses to increase employability (people without cars can't get to employment centers) | ||
| Better transportation will make room for the snowbirds | ||
| Planning is essential if we are to accommodate for increased population (by the time a project is complete, it needs to be improved again) | ||
| Crosstown freeway for efficiency, in order to alleviate congestion on arterials | ||
| Need more incentives for businesses to stay here- for jobs | ||
| Better planning in general- better public decision making (Golf Links/Wilmot intersection is a problem) | ||
| Need better city streets- too many potholes | ||
| Things need to be fixed more quickly | ||
| Theme 2. Housing | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Affordable housing | ||
| Theme 3. Good Ole Boys' Club | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Health care qualifications- ridiculous bills and laws | ||
| Wealthy businessmen making xenophobic and homophobic bills and laws | ||
| Theme 4. Employment | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More job opportunities (more non-governmental employers) | ||
| Theme 5. Natural Environment and Preservation | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Open spaces (equestrian trails) | ||
| Mountain view | ||
| History and nature | ||
| Weather and nature of the region (and preservation of that nature) | ||
| Beauty of the desert! | ||
| Mountains | ||
| Open space | ||
| Free thinking and research | ||
| Sunsets and weather | ||
| Open spaces, (no more houses in the mountains or foothills | ||
| Open spaces and parks | ||
| The weather | ||
| Blue sky and mountains close enough for hiking, camping, skiing, and picnicking, etc. | ||
| Preserve natural habitat | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More open spaces | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| People need to get out and enjoy the natural surroundings. It is healthy and doesn't take money. | ||
| People come here to enjoy the environment | ||
| Things that used to be easily accessible are now closed or paid-for. It inhibits peoples' use of the facilities | ||
| Parks departments don't have a choice. They lack funding, it's ridiculous that they must raise money by donation | ||
| It's unique to us | ||
| We need more parks for kids, families, and all people | ||
| If you don't protect it now, little by little it will be gone | ||
| Lost some of it already | ||
| Theme 6. Diversity and Entertainment | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Saturday night live on 4th Ave (the nightlife) | ||
| Cultural opportunities (arts education and facilities) | ||
| Community events and celebrations (All Souls Parade, fiestas, youth events, honoring history) | ||
| Cultural activities | ||
| Theme 7. Old Pueblo Ambiance | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Small town feeling, not a large city | ||
| History | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| UA wildcats are part of our identity | ||
| Identity= Saguaros, desert oasis. "Smallest city with cultural attractions; opera, ballet, symphony, the arts, etc." It's not Phoenix. | ||
| Maintains a small town personal feel. Small town with all the big town stuff | ||
| The ambiance improves city morale | ||
| 100,000 cities throughout the US and only a few of those are recognized by their names. People know Tucson; it has a uniqueness, an identity. | ||
| Theme 8. Aesthetics and Image | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Clean up eye sores, such as the Grant and 1st Ave area. Get rid of graffiti and clean alleys | ||
| Theme 9. Youth Opportunities | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| School system | ||
| More sports activities for the youth | ||
| More educational and recreational activities for our youth to keep kids out of detention centers. Alternative programs for youths like community service for kids | ||
| More minor league sports (professional) | ||
| More economical or free events for kids and teens | ||
| Theme 10. Public Safety | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Crime level awareness- it starts in the home and the public schools- teaching morals | ||
| Border issues - criminal activity and drugs | ||
| More emergency personnel and police | ||
Wednesday, December 22, 2010