Posts Tagged ‘city of phoenix’

Tweet A rendering of the courtyard at Castaway House by Cavin Costello I read this earlier today: The word “integrity” shares its root with the word “integer,” which means one indivisible thing. – Martha Beck This idea of ‘one indivisible thing’ ties in very nicely with what I wanted to write about today which is the integrated design kick-off meeting we had last week for the Castaway House. I know it’s been a while since I’ve written about the Castaway House, but that’s because we were in the middle of selecting a contractor to work with and also trying to…

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Tweet Last month I was invited to participate in a Window Advisory Committee set up by the City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission. This may sound a bit esoteric to many of you, but some important issues were discussed that pertain to our historic neighborhoods. Here’s some background. We have 35 designated historic residential neighborhoods in the City of Phoenix. You can find out where they are here. These neighborhoods fall under Historic Preservation Overlay Zoning meaning that they are subject to Historic Preservation Design Guidelines. So if you live in one of those neighborhoods and you want to make…

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Tweet On Saturday I attended the first Annual Bicycle Summit of Phoenix at the Burton Barr Library put on by the City of Phoenix. It was wonderful to hear about proposed bike infrastructure improvements, existing safety and traffic laws, and programs and events concerning cyclists. It was also a great opportunity for the biking community to get together and be heard. I commend the organizers – City of Phoenix bicycle coordinator Joseph Perez and traffic engineer Kerry Wilcoxon for making a concerted effort to listen to what the bikers of Phoenix need and want. Although the summit this Saturday was…

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February 01, 2011

The Contractor and the Architect

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet While browsing through some old Arizona Builder & Contractor Magazines for some research I’m doing for another article, I came across this poem written in 1954 that made me laugh out loud. Those of you not in the industry may not be aware of the “special” relationship between Architects and Contractors.  I thought this poem by H.E. Deming sums it up pretty nicely and I thought I’d share it with you.  And no, nothing’s changed 55 plus years… The Contractor and the Architect Are special kind of friends, They laugh and jolly at a bar, But on the job…

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January 31, 2011

In Search of the Perfect Shade Tree

by: Lysistrata Hall

Tweet This is a special guest post by Lysistrata “Lyssa” Hall, a Landscape Architect I with the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department and one of the principal authors of the Tree and Shade Master Plan. Lyssa is an Arizona native that was born and raised in Jerome, Arizona. So often, I am asked what is the perfect shade tree for Phoenix?  There really isn’t one perfect tree that can be planted in every place and meet everyone’s needs. Trees are living organisms that have diverse growing habits and needs, so it is critical that we apply the concepts…

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Tweet Believe it or not Phoenix was one of the last major cities in the country to complete its freeway system.  By the 1960s Phoenix still didn’t have many freeways other than the 1-17.  Starting to learn lessons from other parts of the country, especially LA, many in Phoenix weren’t sure that adding freeways would be a good answer to our people-moving dilemma.  “…by the later 1960s, people in many cities were beginning to see that near total reliance on the automobile for transportation imposed significant unanticipated costs.  Many people now regretted the decisions to bulldoze older neighborhoods that resulted…

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Tweet This is the second installment in my Car Free Stories series.  Check out the first here.  Recently I got a bell for my bike and what a transformative experience it’s been!  Before, when people were in front of me on a sidewalk, I yelled (respectfully), “excuse me! excuse me!”.  Nine times out of ten this wouldn’t work and I’d just have to slow down and wait for an opportunity to pass the seemingly deaf pedestrian.  Now that I have a bell, I’ll ring it once and the astute ones will hear it and get out of the way.  I…

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January 18, 2011

What the City of Phoenix is Doing for the Centennial

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is part II of my interview with Karen Churchard, the Executive Director of the Arizona Centennial 2012 Foundation regarding what the State is planning this year and next for our Centennial.  If you missed part I, make sure to catch it here.  I’ll be posting the third and final segment of the interview tomorrow. Today’s installment is about the events that we can expect to see this year in anticipation of the Centennial and also how the City of Phoenix, specifically, is planning to participate. Blooming Rock: What are some of the things that are happening now…

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January 17, 2011

Arizona Centennial Plans for Washington Street

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Arizona’s birthday is just around the corner. On February 14, our state will be turning 99.  Next year, we’ll be celebrating a huge birthday, the Centennial.  With the down economy, all the bad press our state has been getting for SB1070 and most recently the shocking attacks in Tucson, many say that the Centennial is coming at a bad time.  But Karen Churchard, the Executive Director of the Arizona Centennial 2012 Foundation, says it’s perfect timing.  She believes that this is indeed the perfect time to celebrate the Arizona we love through Centennial celebrations which are already underway. I…

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Tweet Yesterday, I posted the first half of my interview with Jonce Walker, the Sustainability Manager at Maricopa County and the author of the latest Green Government Program.  Today, read how the County collaborates with other municipalities and within its various departments, what specific transportation measures the County is taking to go green, and what other cities and counties can learn from Maricopa County’s success. Blooming Rock: What are some of the coordination efforts you’re undertaking with other agencies and municipalities to implement the Green Government program?  For example, I noticed you have tree planting as one of your measures…

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