A blog I started reading recently and suggested by Chuck Reynolds called Rogue Columnist, is pretty interesting. It highlights a lot of the problems in Phoenix from someone that was raised here pre 1970 and has since moved to Seattle. It has a great sense of history about this great place, but can be misguided at times by agendas against sprawl, lack of water conservation, conservative government and lack of attention to global warming. While certainly am not interested in promoting any of those things, I think the author at times gets too hung up on his agendas and is not realistic in expectations. I do however applaud that he CRITICIZES what is going on here and isn’t the average “cheerleader” that we normally see.
He highlights 15 solutions to make Phoenix better. I was going to comment on them on his blog but figured it was easier to do so here. Please read his original post, it has the full details to each of these items. Also read his other writings on Arizona. It stuff for great discussions.
1. Stop building outside the existing urban footprints of Arizona’s cities.
I agree with this. Lets back-fill some, instead of pushing more sprawl. I am not sure the best way to do this short of tax penalties for continued sprawl. What would that look like?
2. Water. Arizona needs to declare an immediate water emergency — aimed at sprawl and the lack of transparent facts about the state’s reserves, not aimed at watering shade trees.
I agree with this, but call bull shit on the rhetoric used to support it. The easiest way to conserve water is increase it’s cost dramatically. Set reasonable use amounts and penalize the hell out of any usage above that amount.
3. Incentives to develop inside the footprint of the Salt River Project, which has the best chance of surviving the future.
I think this is one is fairly bunk. While I agree with the sentiment I think the authors hatred of suburbs clouds his vision. We don’t need to spend money to attract people back into the core. Penalize the growth and let this occur more naturally. If you make incentives for development, then big developers will abuse this to their advantage and we end up with more stupid shit no one wants.
4. Diversify the economy into high quality sectors.
Short of water conservation, this is the biggest thing we should be doing. This is the primary mission of Gangplank and a deep passion of mine. The time is now. Municipalities understand a “growth” economy isn’t working anymore and are more supportive than ever. Let’s not waste this opportunity. I think the downtown bio-med stuff is largely a joke, but at least they are trying. The solar movement is mostly lip service, but again they are trying. I vehemently disagree with the authors suggest we “recruit” outside companies. We have been doing this for 40 years and it doesn’t work.
5. All this means rethinking “growth.”
I agree with most of what is here. Some of the items I’m less passionate about (in their current incarnations), but overall the ideals are correct.
6. Let the East Valley set up its own county (I suspect Tempe and Scottsdale would stay in Maricopa).
I actually think this might be a good idea, but for the exact OPPOSITE reasons the author states. I think that West half of Maricopa County is much more of a boat anchor than the East half. Ultimately, Im an old school Arizona boy and I would love to see it stay itself and have everyone win.
7. Fix the schools
I whole-heartedly agree with this. HOWEVER, I completely disagree to do it by giving them more money. Fix the institution and the system, then fund the shit out of it, but DO NOT give it funding before it is fixed. Burning hundred dollar bills is more productive.
8. In urban areas, stop building roads and make a crash program for all kinds of transit.
I disagree with Light Rail, as its too expensive for the lack of density we currently have, but agree we need more viable transit. High-speed rail to Tucson/LA/SanDiego/Vegas, commuter rail and other innovations would be interesting. I would love to see people get CREATIVE here.
9. Become an outward-looking place.
I think we need to look outward, but lets fix ourselves first. This is a second tier item on my list. When we are in better shape lets start looking for a date to the prom.. K.
10. Create an appropriate tax structure.
We definitely need a fix here, I have not thought about it enough to have opinions on the right thing. We need to be less real estate friendly and more business friendly to start.
11. Provide tax-increment financing and other proven tools to cities to revitalize and channel development and business into their downtowns.
I like the idea, but need to study it more to have a strong opinion either way.
12. Invest water in creating multiple shade islands in Phoenix. Encanto Park, Arcadia and the area from north of Camelback Road to the Arizona Canal on Central show the dramatic affect this shade and grass have on lowering temperatures.
I disagree with this one. Let the desert be the desert. I call bullshit on the whole temperature thing. I do agree we should have more parks, but pushing for “shade islands” is for fannies (see what I did there MarkNg).
13. Declare moratoriums on more development in Buckeye and Pinal County (see point No. 1 above).
I don’t think it’s correct to put moratoriums on them, but I think its fair to make them pay their own damn way. Which they can not. So in essence it puts a moratorium on them. I have some radical thoughts on this but they may not be viable. 
14. Fix the immigrant underclass that is already there, with good schools, English learning (it is the international business language) and ladders up to information age jobs.
I agree here. The KEY is no more English as a Second Language. Becoming fluent in English is MANDATORY.
15. I don’t have all the answers. I do know that doing the same thing over and over while hoping for a better outcome is the definition of…today’s Arizona.
I’m disappointed that the author doesn’t have all the answers, but I have a few to add. I would have a LOT to add, but I didn’t sit down and think about it.
- Stop the bullshit. Fix Immigration Laws and Open Immigration. See item 14.
- Stop recruiting outside and international companies as the panacea to build new economies. We need companies started here and grown here. Recruiting headquarters, call centers or operational arms is not viable long term. We need founders of companies here that are loyal to here and MOST IMPORTANTLY will re-invest back here when they succeed.
- Be responsible for the community you live in and make a difference.
More from Derek Neighbors
- Gangplank in Downtown Phoenix
- Does Phoenix Need To Change?
- What Do You Spend Your Time On?
- Commentary on Whats Wrong With Downtown Phoenix
- Creative Economy AZ (My Take)
You Might Also Be Interested In
- Learn How To Sell ClickBank Products (Chad Nicely)
- What Are we Waiting For? (Stealthmode)
- Tons of Email, Chad… How Do I Make Money Online (Chad Nicely)
Portland is a good example. Restrict new building within a certain area allows us to at least make a smaller target to fix.
Why do we hate height so much here?
Simply put, “Heat Rises”.
I agree with the Rogue’s Columnist’s suggestion of more solar. But “Zion County”? That’s barely coded language for Mormons, right?!
I immigrated to PHX at age 4 with my parents, who went to ASU for grad school. I grew up there, went to Boston for college, now living in New York. PHX was a great place to grow up, but I find it increasingly unrecognizable every time I go back to visit. My family lives in Scottsdale now, and the “new urbanism” stuff they are trying out in Downtown and North Scottsdale are a good start, but there is more to higher-density development than building condos above shopping malls.
1. I don’t understand this one. There is so much open space in the western united states, the idea that we’re running out is just silly when you look at the numbers. Let people make choices about where they want to develop, live, work etc.
2. I agree that the price of water is out of line with the marketplace, at least it -seems- that way. The fact that there are already people trading water contracts suggests that it will become more expensive. Dealing with Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California AND the federal government doesn’t make this any easier.
8. People like driving their own cars, alone mostly, to and from work. If enough people REALLY wanted mass transit somebody would build it, but they don’t so everyone is stuck hoping some city government will subsidize it to the hilt.
9. WTF does “Become an outward-looking place.” mean? That’s just gabbing.
13. Again, enough with the semi-rural suburbanite bashing. Let people work and live where they want.
I personally don’t know why everyone thinks that there is something wrong with the Phoenix metro area. If you want some hip urban area with “green” transport, coffee shops and dense population… move somewhere else, Phoenix doesn’t have that and it’s pretty clear that nobody wants that (except for you and the people who live in the aforementioned other place).
Practically everywhere you go has underperforming schools, poor business climate, bad politics, and a host of other problems. All in all I don’t think Phoenix is that bad, it’s just in people’s nature to complain.
Would we rather be some shit place in the rust belt? Would we want an even worse RE climate like Las Vegas or Southern CA? I know I wouldn’t want to be there.
Clayton,
1. I mostly agree with you on this. My only real problem with “sprawl” so to speak in Arizona is the propagation of building as an “economy”.
8. I drove my car and I liked it. So do others. I’m pro having transportation options. I’m not in favor of heavy subsidization, that’s why I said lets get creative.
9. I believe in his original article it was about projecting Phoenix as a place outsiders would want to invest in. Silly IMHO.
13. I think the developments that are coming online before they have infrastructure and then bleeding out other cities is wrong. I advocate fixing that.
Personally, I think there is something wrong with Phoenix, but it has very little to do with it not being “urban” enough. It has to do with number of creatives we lose. Losing those people make it hard to start and operate viable businesses.
I plan on getting a lot more vocal on using what other people see as our “weakness” and instead harnessing it as a “strength”.
I agree with most of Talton’s positions on matters of both local and national policy, but I despise his nasty, smug, arrogant, snide, and bitter rhetoric. Read his post carefully and you’ll see this wording at the end:
“As for me, I don’t think it will happen. Arizona, especially metro Phoenix, has become a self-selecting population that perpetuates a failing status quo.”
In other words, Talton teases readers my making it seem like he’s a contructive voice and then concludes with a statement that he doesn’t think anything good will happen. How is that a useful basis for discussion?
He also regularly belitlles people who dare to disagree with him as “duhs” and “ignos,” and has called the population of the Phoenix Metro Area “four million idiots.” When did that type of rhetoric become acceptable?
I’m happy to see some intelligent discussion about the challenges facing our city. I don’t think it needs “fixing” because it’s already a fundamentally good place, but it could certainly use improvement — just like all cities, including Seatlle. If we really want this to be productive conversation, though, I’d focus on people who are doing positive things right here in Phoenix rather than a naysayer living in self-imposed exile in Seattle.