Imagine Greater Tucson
Phase I Data Gathering

Tucson Commercial Real Estate Women
University Marriott – 880 E. 2nd St.,  Tucson
Date of Conversation: Wednesday, February 16, 2011  Time: 3:30 – 5:30 PM
Facilitator: Patrick Hartley  Recorder: Lindsey Sexton
Number of Tables: 1  Number of Participants: 20
 
Theme 1. Governance
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  The no-growth political environment - bad governance
  Support of military and negativity from a small vociferous group against the military
  Better support for bringing new business and military to town
  Unincorporated Pima County not able to participate in City elections
  Lack of cohesive political leadership
  More competent government
  A more attractive streetscape
 
Theme 2. Economic Development
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  More effort to bring new business/families to the Tucson area
  More business friendly (encourage jobs and keep students here)
  Lack of professional opportunity - a one job town
  Better wages
  Attract bigger and more businesses
 Why is this important? How does this affect you?
  Housing costs are still high compared to income because of land costs and government fees
  We need higher wages. Professionals make 1/3 less here for the same job in other places
  There are 2 things that make Tucson unattractive for business. 1) no properly trained workforce, and 2) we have a vertical government that isn't on the same page
  We are blessed with low property taxes, but this affects our schools
  We need to find our own uniqueness
  Businesses have a 2-3 year process to move here, and they lose interest. It needs to be quicker and easier
  My daughter just moved back here from LA with her 4 year old daughter, and has heard nothing but bad things about local schools
  Governor Brewer is proposing probusiness ideas, but cutting education. It doesn't make sense
  How is it that we are paying more for schools, but getting less? Is it because of charter schools?
  There is no funding in schools for librarians, nurses, music programs, etc.
  San Antonio - the riverwalk use to be where criminals went and they changed that image. Schools are worse here than in Texas. When I came to Arizona, I skipped from the 8th grade to 12th without having to think
  Jobs are leaving California for Texas, because of Texas's pro-business environment. Tucson isn't business friendly
  Job creation is a beauty contest- we lose because we don't have the depth of services in this community - for example, education
  There is a persistent illusion that Tucson is a cheap place to live. It used to be, but not now. Companies are still paying $10.00 an hour but rent is $1,000 a month. We need well-paying jobs, so we can all pay our taxes. Something is upside down
  We can't fix the transportation system without affecting other things. We need to develop higher paying jobs or kids can't stay. Need balance, but we can't sacrifice the environment to create jobs. Finding that balance between all of this is a true challenge
  We have a bad case of NIMBYism - we need to learn to compromise
  Economic development will not happen unless we fix the education system. We rank 50th in the nation
  So much of the money (tax revenue) is in unincorporated Pima County so we don't get that money
  The military brings money here, and shouldn't be overlooked
  We want to accommodate business, but we don't want to compromise the local environment by giving too much away
  Need corporate citizenship; only 1 or 2 corporate drivers. Need to lower fees, charges, and taxes for the business community
  The tail wags the dog - need money to do the bike lanes, etc. We need good paying jobs
 
Theme 3. Urban Planning
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Need more neighborhood centers - i.e. mini-towns or urban villages
 
Theme 4. Education
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Schools
  Need to support education to achieve workforce development
 
Theme 5. Sense of Community
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  We need to think big on the right things - small class sizes are ok, but big transportation projects are also ok
  "Small Town"
  Feeling or sense of being connected to a community
  Big city with a small town feel
  Big city that feels like a small town
  Community
  Friends!
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Increase recognition that there may be a better alternative to solve problems of community - those could even be found in Phoenix!
 Why is this important? How does this affect you?
  Community defines who we are and sets us apart from other places "shared sense of community"
  People live here because they want to and enjoy the environment. They figure out how to stay here
  Tucson is different - we should celebrate and define those differences
  Very scary regulations from Phoenix coming down - for example carrying guns makes people afraid
  Eye contact, friendly waves, talking in the grocery store - preserve this! I don't want isolation
  People need to care about decisions - that they are part of the community
  The crime rate is not reported accurately in Tucson - it's hard to keep track of the actual crime rate (example: UofA students are encouraged to report every little incident)
  The high crime rate really effects our sense of community
  Do we need an identity? 20-30 years and we still always compare ourselves to Phoenix. We should define ourselves by ourselves, and not negatively by what we are not. We are not "not Phoenix" we are "Tucson" and we need to acknowledge that fact. (Sierra Vista views Tucson in much the same way that Tucson views Phoenix)
  Tucson should ask itself "What assets do we already have, and how can we make them better?"
  We 'poo poo' big ideas, like bridges. We don't want it to be an attraction. We don't think big - how about a big cultural and arts center?
 
Theme 6. Medical Care
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  Medical care
 
Theme 7. Transportation
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Improved transportation options
  An easier crosstown commute
  Transportation
  Need easier ways to get from here to there - efficient and effective
  Get a freeway across town
  Better transportation
  More freeways and commuter transportation
 Why is this important? How does this affect you?
  The Modern Street Car will be nice, but it doesn't serve the entire area
  Better transportation so that there are less cars on the road and less deserts bulldozed
  Transportation includes walkability and bicycles - design for pleasant walking
  Many voter approved transportation projects aren't supported by the Council
  We live here because we don't want to commute for hours
  We have top turn down jobs because we don't want to travel across town
  It's isolating - you lose friends when you move across town (this is a real problem)
  I live of the east side and I don't want to drive 45 minutes to do things downtown or at the UofA
  It interrupts what you can do - for example it is difficult to network on the other side of town. It interferes with the things I'd like to do around town
  Amazed how long it takes to get from A to B here as compared to other cities - say Dallas
  Air quality, higher insurance rates, preservation, quality of life - time behind the wheel
  The current system is inefficient and transportation affects every aspect of our lives
 
Theme 8. U of A
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  University of Arizona
  University pride
  UofA sports
 
Theme 9. Relationship with our Natural Environment
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  The weather
  Outdoor activities/lifestyle
  Natural beauty
  The weather - allowing many days for outdoor activity
  Clean air
  Desert environment - friendly people, diversity, cultural events, the UofA
  National Parks
  Outdoor recreation - Mt. Lemmon, parks, desert, trails
  Sabino Canyon and Mt. Lemmon recreational areas
  Climate
  Lifestyle- outdoors, friendly and diverse people
  Love the weather - the ability to be outside most of the year
  Weather
 What do you most want to change or improve about our community/region?
  Create a strong urban center to reduce blading the desert
 Why is this important? How does this affect you?
  Our population has grown so much, that are roads can't keep up
  Our city government has been sneaky about getting projects done. They are slow but there has been real progress since the 1980s (ex: River Rd)
  I saw a video of some town halls that were held around Tucson in the 60s and 70s and the participants were talking about many of the same issues we are talking about today. It's very humbling
  A bridge idea was shot down in the area where I live, and I've been in car accidents because the current road system there isn't safe enough
  I like to be in Tucson because of the nature
  The environment is linked to childhood obesity. Kids can get out more, so can be more healthy. It's also tied to education, health, and tourism
  I spent time in Germany and it was so wonderful. I could walk everywhere, but things in smaller quantities, and really got to know my area. When I can back to Tucson, I had to start driving everywhere again. We developed to sell cars, so everything in this country is developed to drive to
  I'm likely to live in a subdivision that's a loop. You see lot's of nature. It feels like being in nature in the center of the city. Lot's of people walking and we have a mini community. For future development, we should structure the roads, etc. to build small communities within the larger community. I want to live at Grant/Swan so I walk to Starbucks and other places
  Williams Center was developed but was a mess, but then it worked out because it became the center of Tucson. You are going to have opposition to projects, unless you can communicate all the benefits they get from development (restaurants, etc.) An example is the streetcar
  It's harder to redevelop older areas because so many opinions. Section Tucson into neighborhoods, and work on developing neighborhood identities
  Can be camping, hiking, mountain biking in nature. It's for my personal well-being. I need this or I go nuts.
  Parks, trails, smaller lot sizes (Rancho Sahuarita?)
  Need to find a balance
 
Theme 10. Arts and Culture
 What do you like the most about our community/region?
  Arts and culture


Monday, March 07, 2011