Did you go hear the Mayor?

Thursday night I went to the Mayor's meeting at Orpheum Theater. The purpose was to announce the next steps in the plan to revitalize Phoenix.

The first thing he emphasized was the need for shade. We live in a hot desert and we won't walk around downtown if the sun is beating down on us. He said that people have not wanted to spend the money on trees but this is what is needed so we are going to do it. Yes. Good for him.

Next he introduced the new urban planning consulting firm, Dyett & Bhatia (D&B), who will do the following under the name Downtown Phoenix Project Urban Form

• Review of the city's current land use regulatory structure.
• Develop updated regulatory mechanisms based upon that review.
• Develop master plans for public spaces, public art, character districts, and multi-modal transportation.
• Develop implementation plan to guide the transition from what is to what will be in downtown Phoenix.

Simply put, they will simplify all the existing, non-workable codes so that it is easier to develop and they will pull together everything we have done so far into a cohesive, livable downtown.

I am thrilled!