Posts Tagged ‘aia arizona’

April 08, 2013

Community Action, not Top-Down Overhaul, Will Lead to Walkability in Phoenix

by: Jennifer Gunther

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Jennifer Gunther reporting on Day 2 of Phoenix Urban Design Week’s Urban Tactics Symposium: The AIA Arizona office downtown hosted day two of Phoenix Urban Design Week’s Urban Tactics Symposium, which featured keynote speaker, planner and walkability expert Jeff Speck and a panel of planners, researchers and designers who presented key strategies that can help Phoenix become less autocentric and more of a socially oriented urban space. The author of “Walkable City” gave an overview of the first section of his book, laying down the case for walkability’s powerful impact on the overall quality…

July 25, 2012

Sustainable Communities Collaborative Helps Fund Transit Oriented Development in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet We all know that after the housing market crash, banks have tightened their fists considerably, making it hard to develop anything at all, much less innovative and equitable transit-oriented projects. The picture looked bleak for new development and redevelopment, where even suburban tract housing developers were dead in the water. But a few years ago, thanks to a very dedicated local team, some funds were secured to bridge the gap of financing for transit oriented development along the Light Rail. This is great news for Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa who have opted into Light Rail and stand to benefit…

March 08, 2012

Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for an American Architecture

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The story of Louis Sullivan isn’t just important for architecture, it’s an important part of American history. He was many years ahead of his time, he continually broke new ground and he was, undoubtedly, an original. His most ardent dream was to establish a decidedly American architecture. At the time he came on the scene as an architect in Chicago in the late 1800’s, the zeitgeist was to emulate European architecture. This young nation didn’t have a voice of its own yet when it came to the art of buildings and it still deferred to Europe to tell it…