Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering
| Tucson Regional Environmental Leaders Breakfast Group – Table 1 | ||
| The Historic Y – 738 N. 5th Ave, Tucson | ||
| Date of Conversation: Thursday, January 06, 2011 Time: 8:00 -10:00 AM | ||
| Facilitator: Patrick Hartley Recorder: Daphne Daly | ||
| Number of Tables: 1 Number of Participants: 7 | ||
| Theme 1. (No Label) | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Emphasis on health – outdoor exercise | ||
| Theme 2. Education | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Choices – alternatives | ||
| Charter school choices | ||
| Top schools – University High School | ||
| Cultural mix of people | ||
| University / Higher education / Research | ||
| University | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Excelling students are often not challenged | ||
| Low income public schools need help | ||
| Community awareness – greed, self-interest, conflicts of interest | ||
| Improve schools – environmental awareness | ||
| Environmental education – Improve public awareness and ability to accept knowledge of environmental problems that need to be addressed. How do you reach people who care about nothing but their own comfort? | ||
| Theme 3. Culture and Diversity | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Cultural diversity | ||
| Diverse cultural history – taking it back 8,000 to 10,000 years | ||
| Interacting with different cultures and classes | ||
| Cultural mixing pot – events (Tucson Meet Yourself, Folk Festival, Chilli Cookoff, local music) | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| More support for the arts and more arts-related opportunities | ||
| Theme 4. People | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Land ethics from a comparably large segment of the community | ||
| Do it yourself flavored happenings on a small budget | ||
| Funky, artistic activist community | ||
| Good attitudes – overall happy – not grouchy – people talk to you in line – not busy, stressed – receptive, friendly out in public | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Political conflict and lack of cooperation for the greater good | ||
| More acceptance of differing perspectives (less in-fighting) | ||
| Competition over collaboration (manipulative behavior over the lack of resources) – foster more collaboration | ||
| Theme 5. Jobs and Economics | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Poverty and division between haves and have nots – very little mixing between | ||
| Low wage | ||
| No jobs – bring your own money – Job, if you have one, hold on to it | ||
| Not enough emphasis on creation of new businesses / jobs | ||
| Theme 6. Transportation | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Great manners on public buses (folks standing up when others need to sit, folks holding doors helping elders and disabled) | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Major streets – lack of beauty or architectural cohesion – Does not compliment our natural beauty (Speedway, Broadway, Grant, 22nd) | ||
| On public transportation, unkind behavior witnessed – sometimes threats, scary for kids. Drug deals. | ||
| Safer, more efficient, more effective alternatives to the automobile | ||
| Lack of high speed transit to Phoenix | ||
| Public transportation – difficult to get to some areas and takes a long time | ||
| Roads need repair | ||
| Cross town – Tucson to Phoenix | ||
| Not enough sidewalks / bike lanes | ||
| Theme 7. Sense of Community / Character / Growth | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Place to park downtown | ||
| Increase density – infill and redevelopment | ||
| Weak urban core – hard to get people downtown – symphony, arts, culture – live in outer areas | ||
| Other things to do – downtown activities | ||
| Uncontrolled growth – sprawl – wildcat development – associated costs – dying urban areas | ||
| More decisions in metro area like Tucson Water footprint – conscious decision of where to grow and not grow | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Because it is the way Western cities have grown – no need for public transportation | ||
| Because of sprawl, it is difficult to develop in the core; weakens artistic density | ||
| Rule of more transportation / infrastructure | ||
| Water will create infill footprint policies | ||
| If we don't plan it will be a disaster | ||
| Why are we not looking at other areas like Valencia? | ||
| Bear in mind that there are limits to growth | ||
| Civano as example of sense of place – but exclusive to people with money and cars – secluded | ||
| 4th Ave. as model to pursue | ||
| Wise growth done well – to give us a sense of community – still want vibrant community when hit peak – no collapse of that vibrant community and decay | ||
| Theme 8. Small Town Feel | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Small city and open spaces | ||
| Old Town - 4th Ave. - like the scale of place | ||
| Small town feel yet lots of diversity (DM, retirees, tribes, Hispanics) – don't need money to get involved | ||
| Theme 9. Natural Environment | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Sonoran desert and sky island mountains – natural environment | ||
| Big views of the sky and warm climate | ||
| Santa Cruz River | ||
| Natural beauty – mountains / plants / animals – uniqueness | ||
| Unique Sonoran desert | ||
| Mountains and access to wild areas | ||
| Nature awareness – wildlife – natural parks – open space | ||
| Environment – scenic, climate | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Santa Cruz River | ||
| Not enough wilderness protection | ||
| Restored river / wash systems – not trash dumps – dedicating water to environmental purposes – no water in Tucson basin | ||
| Bring native plants back – make the wetlands an asset – community water and recreation paths | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Personal aesthetics | ||
| Unique for an area this size | ||
| Diverse | ||
| Awe inspiring | ||
| Scenic quality | ||
| Kids noticing sunset, mountains | ||
| Spiritual connection | ||
| Spiritual fulfillment | ||
| Environmental ethic | ||
Monday, January 17, 2011