Posts Tagged ‘phoenix’

January 19, 2015

A Development Crisis in One of Phoenix’s Most Vibrant Neighborhoods

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is by guest contributor Bob Graham: 2015 has brought to downtown Phoenix new multifamily development projects that have awakened and alarmed local stakeholders. Any of these developments on their own would probably have ruffled a few feathers but then continued on to completion would be just one more minor erosion of urban fabric that we would adjust to. However when they all come up at once, the challenges of maintaining our progress towards a revitalized and sustainable downtown become all too stark. Current Events: Problem Projects The three projects that have caught the community’s attention are, from west…

November 12, 2014

The Best Strategies for Adapting to Climate Change Extremes Lie in our own Backyard

by: Jonce Walker

Tweet Today’s article is by guest contributor Jonce Walker. Jonce is a LEED Accredited Professional, a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor and a Sustainability Consultant for Terrapin Bright Green in NYC. In the 1950’s, the arid climate of Phoenix, AZ created a haven to recover from the respiratory challenges associated with colder, wetter places in the United States. Coupled with warm winters and the chance to retire in inexpensive housing, the Valley of the Sun became a powerful draw for many Americans starting new lives after the war. However, after 60 years of breakneck development, several climate change-related challenges are beginning…

August 25, 2014

How to Ride a Bike in Copenhagen

by: Paul Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is by guest contributor Paul Loomans. Paul is a development professional involved in sustainability, community, and biking. He is car-free in Phoenix Arizona. Paul is COO of Firefly Living, a new generation real estate organization. He also loves cats. It was my last night in Copenhagen. Over most of the past two weeks, I’d seen the world’s best biking city from the seat of a bike. Since I had gone car-free in Phoenix about three years ago, I figured it was time to visit Mecca for biking inspiration. I stayed with four different Couch Surfing and Airbnb…

July 02, 2014

My 10 Favorite Things to See and Do When I Visit Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I noticed that what I like to do when I visit Phoenix are not the same things I liked to do when I lived here. I appreciate a whole different set of attractions as a visitor that I completely took for granted when I lived here. Now that I live in the Pacific Northwest, I can see and appreciate the things that make Phoenix uniquely Phoenix – the things that draw from its Latino and Native American culture, the scorching Mars-like climate and landscape, and the history of the place. When I lived in Phoenix, I was most interested…

September 25, 2013

Why We Should Save Camelview Theater, One of the Last Remaining Historic Theaters in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I was writing an article on endangered animals when I heard news that Camelview Theater in Scottsdale, Arizona is in danger of being torn down in favor of making room for a 2000+ seat megaplex theater, which would be part of an expansion of Fashion Square Mall. Just like endangered animals will be gone forever if we don’t save them, the same is true for historic buildings. According to Nick Blumberg of KJZZ, “Camelview may be on the chopping block. Dan Harkins leases the land from Camelview’s neighbors, Scottsdale Fashion Square. The mall wants to expand, and that might…

July 29, 2013

Post-War Architecture Task Force Seeks to Actively Protect Midcentury Modern Buildings in Phoenix

by: James Gardner

Tweet *We’d like to mark the passing of architect Frank Henry on July 28, 2013, a Taliesin Fellow who was instrumental in saving the David Wright House. Our condolences to his friends and family. His passing is a true loss for the architectural community in Phoenix.* Today’s post is by contributing writer James Gardner: A group of citizen experts involved in historic preservation in Phoenix have formed a task force specifically to protect post-war (1945-1975) architecture. Led by Modern Phoenix mastermind Alison King, the aptly named Post-War Architecture Task Force (PWATF) just held its first face-to-face meeting on Monday, July 15th….

July 24, 2013

Vesta Communities Works to Bring Cohousing to Phoenix

by: Nichole Reber

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Nichole Reber: “What would it look like if we lived in a community-oriented neighborhood?” Claudia Hartman asks. For her and Donna Niemann, real communities are places filled with different generations, socio-economic diversity, and sustainable daily living practices. They’re hoping to manifest this in an eco-hybrid model known as Vesta Communities. The duo took their search for best practices in design, affordability, sustainability and governance on a 2,500-mile journey across Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico—and of course the cohousing communities in Tucson and Prescott. They studied 20 private developments such as cohousing, pocket…

July 16, 2013

Developer Wants to Abandon Alley in Downtown Phoenix Even though it Goes Against the Downtown Code

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet A developer by the name of DTR 25, LLC is applying to partially abandon an alley south of Fillmore Road between 1st and 2nd Avenues in Downtown Phoenix for the purposes of “future development”. The abandonment of this alley has future implications about walkability, how buildings will deal with their back-of-house needs, and the possibility of getting yet another surface parking lot in Downtown. Below are what John Glenn, the Vice Chair of the Central City Village Planning Committee, Arizona State University, and the Central City Village Planner think about what would happen if this alley was abandoned. John…

July 03, 2013

Leslie Lindo Instills Sustainable Practices in the Business World Through Education

by: Nichole Reber

Tweet Today’s post is by contributing writer Nichole Reber. After four years of traveling the globe Nichole has repatriated to Phoenix. There she is following her two passions: writing and the built environment. During the day she does marketing communications, social media, and journalism for those in AEC. At night she’s at work on her first book, a travel memoir about deportation, near kidnappings, hospitalizations, and the harsh realities behind travel’s glamour. Find her on her literary blog, and check out her portfolio. Leslie Lindo doesn’t see sustainability as just a buzzword. She sees it as a means to a better community. Working for…

June 21, 2013

City of Phoenix Selects Design Team to Re-envision Margaret Hance Park

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Great parks add to the heart and soul of a city. Think of Central Park in New York, Forest Park in Portland, and Balboa Park in San Diego. There are few cities that need an infusion of heart and soul more than Phoenix. And so the recent selection of a design team for the revitalization of Margaret Hance Park bears with it a great hope that the park can become a big part of the heart and soul of Phoenix. The City of Phoenix just hired a design team that will take the park from being a green space…