automobiles | This Could Be Phoenix
-1
archive,tag,tag-automobiles,tag-76,bridge-core-2.9.6,qode-page-transition-enabled,ajax_leftright,page_not_loaded,,qode-theme-ver-28.0,qode-theme-bridge,disabled_footer_bottom,qode_header_in_grid,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.7.0,vc_responsive
 

automobiles Tag

31 Mar

On March 20 the city presented the design for the upcoming First Street Pedestrian Project to the neighborhood at the Irish Cultural Center. I was there with This Could Be PHX and other community advocates. What we saw was actually more disappointing than expected. All the feedback they were given over the past four years since the Fillmore-McKinley portion was completed was ignored. Our expectations that this “updated” McKinley-Moreland design would reflect at least SOME of that feedback were completely let down. Instead we saw the exact same design that they presented five years ago. I don’t know about you, but we've learned new and better ways of doing things over the past five years. So why hasn't the City and its consultants included them in the updated design?
08:00 / City Infrastructure
20 Mar

A few weeks ago, we asked for your opinions on our Facebook page: What's the worst thing about parking in Downtown Phoenix? You gave us various different responses, and were extremely helpful in understanding the community's perception of what it's like to park in Downtown Phoenix. Let's face it: Parking is a touchy subject that lies at the center of a clash of lifestyles. It's a complex issue, and we get that. As part of our exploration into the topic of parking, we'll attempt to understand and explain some of its many facets in future blog posts. We want to do this thoroughly and factually so that we (and hopefully you!) can fully understand the problems our city is facing.
08:00 / City Infrastructure
28 Jan

"Living Downtown" and "saved me money" are two phrases that don’t normally go together. Up until a year ago I would have agreed, but then I realized that living in Downtown Phoenix could actually be a great way to fill my pockets with some spare change, and then some. I've heard a lot of people talk about moving out of the city in order to cut costs or not choosing to move Downtown because of the higher costs of urban living. It's true; many places in the city are expensive to live in, especially if you are expecting to live in a 1,500 sf – 2,000 sf apartment or condo with outrageous HOA fees. So I am sure you must be asking; how in the world does living in Downtown Phoenix save you money? The answer: transportation.
07:53 / Urban Lifestyle & Culture
17 Mar

You get what this post is about from the title. I don't have a car. And I live and work in Phoenix. But let me be clear on one point... this isn't a story about how I came to my senses that my gas guzzling SUV was evil and I could manage without one. I didn't suddenly decide to truly embody my 'urbanist' vision and forego four wheels of transportation for my two legs (even though I wasn't opposed to it). This also isn't about not ever getting in a car or using a car. I do that too. This is about not owning a car in Phoenix, and how I make it work in a city that isn't typically known for a car-free life. The fact of the matter is that I had a car. And it was stolen. All of a sudden, I was faced with a big decision I knew I was going to make at some point in the near future anyway...Car or no car?
07:50 / Urban Lifestyle & Culture
11 Dec

I once had a conversation with a pro-suburbanite about why I loved the city. Their response was common and concise, “I love living closer to nature too much to live in the city." Actually, to say I "once" had this conversation is an under exaggeration. In fact, that is one of the most common justifications I hear in response to asking people why they chose to live in the suburbs.

The Paradox of Suburbia

On the surface, this statement actually seems quite valid. I lived in the suburbs and I felt much closer to nature when I was there than I do now in the city. Cities are our urban cores at the center of the surrounding suburbs and, naturally, the further out from the city you are, the more likely you will be closer to nature. So if you are a nature lover then you probably want to live in the suburbs, and if you are an urbanite, you probably want to live in the city, right? Well, not so fast. There is something paradoxical about this belief. Suburbia is actually the leading cause of environmental destruction in the United States. No other phenomenon has caused as many acres of forest to be destroyed here.
09:20 / Urban Lifestyle & Culture