Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering
| Environmental Planning Advisory Committee (EPAC) | ||
| PAG Offices – 177 N Church Ave, Tucson | ||
| Date of Conversation: Monday, February 07, 2011 Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM | ||
| Facilitator: Marc Fink Recorder: Bonny Bruce | ||
| Number of Tables: 1 Number of Participants: 8 | ||
| Theme 1. Economic Development | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Aversion to development of future business/job opportunity | ||
| Economy based on a housing growth | ||
| Better job opportunities | ||
| Increase environmentally sound industries for sustainability e.g. solar | ||
| Make it more affordable for people to live in the urban core | ||
| Improve gluten-free dining options | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Diversity is needed in our industrial base | ||
| New industries can take environment into consideration and protect the environment (not use too much water) | ||
| Be proactive about who we invite to the community (what industries) | ||
| Attract industries that do their jobs well and have low environmental impact | ||
| Focus on condensing areas to put industries and to protect them from sprawl | ||
| Industry focus of distribution and logistics | ||
| We should take greater advantage of our proximity to Mexico | ||
| The retired vote not to pay for things that better our community | ||
| Better paying jobs | ||
| More competitiveness | ||
| Having high-quality well-paying jobs helps our quality of life | ||
| We need a more diverse economic environment so that we can survive through the changes | ||
| Economic stability leads to social stability | ||
| Taxes will go up to make up for the lack of large businesses | ||
| Divide up research dollars and put some toward business | ||
| Hard for large companies to start a business here | ||
| There are no jobs to keep young people here | ||
| Theme 2. U of A | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Good working environment: UofA | ||
| University town- sports, economic development, and workforce development | ||
| Theme 3. Political Environment | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Better political climate and leadership | ||
| I'd like to change the local government structures/players, and especially that of the city of Tucson. Greater regionalism of governments - work together | ||
| Better political consensus | ||
| Theme 4. Built Environment | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| No tall buildings outside the city center | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Reduce sprawl and growth into the desert | ||
| More neighborhood parks | ||
| Our growth and development pattern. I'd like less sprawl and more urban type development | ||
| Empty areas in the city but sprawl on the edge continues | ||
| Don't like all the strip mall developments | ||
| Better downtown venues for arts and entertainment | ||
| Lack of creative roadway landscaping along I-10/I-19 | ||
| Graffiti | ||
| Dead downtown at night | ||
| Ugly entrance into Tucson from the airport | ||
| Lack of mixed-use developments | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Have many options all in 1 place | ||
| Centralized on-going activity | ||
| Public transportation or walking | ||
| A more inviting streetscape would be nice | ||
| A vibrant downtown would attract young people | ||
| I want more residents, condos, and activity downtown | ||
| A sustainable downtown community where people live, work, and play | ||
| Sprawling development is visually boring | ||
| The quality of construction is going downhill | ||
| Young people want to live and work in close proximity (so does everyone else) | ||
| Build a sense of community | ||
| Community pride (graffiti) | ||
| Provide affordable housing near where low-income people work and where they shop | ||
| It's about the quality of life. I want to see the natural environment at the end of the work week. It improves the quality of life visually and for health | ||
| The physical landscape is important for tourism | ||
| We lose our spirit of community due to widespread development | ||
| Mixed-use development and corner stores are good | ||
| Need a more vibrant city core for economic sustainability and social/environmental sustainability | ||
| Pima county best destination for young people - no businesses | ||
| Theme 5. Sense of Community | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| One of my favorite things is the friendly, caring neighbors in my neighborhood. It's truly a "community" within the larger urban setting. | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| I'd like to see the community take better care of/provide for those who need help (food, medical, child care, mental health services, housing, etc.) | ||
| Theme 6. Outdoor Recreation | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Physical and spiritual access to the natural environment | ||
| Being within 20-30 minute drive of great hiking and a 45-60 minute drive of good camping | ||
| I like the proximity to natural open space areas that, for an urban area this size, aren't very crowded | ||
| Good hiking and paths for recreation | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| I'd like to see more natural desert parks in the urban area | ||
| Theme 7. Natural Environment | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Desert and Saguaros | ||
| Desert landscape and wildlife | ||
| No McMansions on the mountains | ||
| The raw desert - nature's intrinsic value | ||
| Sun and blue sky | ||
| Emphasis on "natural" environmental aesthetic planning and development | ||
| Theme 8. Culture and Diversity | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Cultural diversity - arts and education | ||
| Diverse population. White, Hispanic, Native American, long-time residents, and new residents. | ||
| I like the proximity to Mexico and the influence of the Mexican/Hispanic cultures; especially the warmth of the people | ||
| Support for folk music, and the Tucson folk festival | ||
| Old Pueblo culture and diverse population | ||
| Sense of place through cultural diversity | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Better integration of diverse populations in work, schools, and throughout the community | ||
| Theme 9. Water Security | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Improve water security for the environment | ||
| I'd like to see the region's approach to water-supply, especially change that we need to be more realistic about our future and the limits on water consumption in terms of population growth | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Long-term sustainability | ||
| It is a valuable and limited resource that needs to be managed | ||
| There is a lack of education on the water situation and a lack of communication on water use habits | ||
| People don’t' know the trade-offs | ||
| Trade-off - water supporting agriculture or urban development | ||
| Wildlife and vegetation are at risk | ||
| We have a limited water supply | ||
| Water determines our ability to remain living here | ||
| The most important thing is water; can't have life without it | ||
| Theme 10. Transportation Options | ||
| What do you like the most about our community/region? | ||
| Interurban access - bikeability (safety, alternate modes, pleasurable rides in neighborhoods | ||
| What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region? | ||
| Lack of transit use by professionals | ||
| Traffic congestion and driving habits | ||
| Why is this important? How does this affect you? | ||
| Safety (sidewalks and bikes) | ||
| Stronger link between development and transportation planning - far flung suburbs have no transportation options | ||
| Tucson spends a lot on transit for low-income; get people to ride the bus or get rid of it | ||
| Transportation options are needed for low-income folks | ||
| It's expensive to drive; and stressful | ||
| Long commutes are more relaxing with public transportation | ||
| It's less expensive if you have more options | ||
| More options for older people | ||
| It's about the health of Tucson residents | ||
| Better transportation makes for an easier lifestyle | ||
| Reduced congestion (less emissions) is important for air quality | ||
Saturday, February 12, 2011