An update for the city’s general plan, which promises to create a vibrant downtown and make the city more diverse, economically successful, connected and sustainable, was approved last month by city council and will be headed to the ballot in August.
“The general plan provides a policy guidance on growth, development, redevelopment, conservation and infrastructure investment for the city of Phoenix,” said Alan Stephenson, planning and zoning director.
The original plan, known as PlanPHX, was passed in 2002. State law requires an update to the plan every 10 years. The deadline for the update was the end of 2015.
The public and many other departments in Phoenix have contributed to the updated plan, Stephenson said. The department has had about 13,000 comments from the public and has held over 200 public meetings.
The idea behind the update is to make the plan more user-friendly for residents and developers.
Sean Sweat, president of the Thunderdome Neighborhood Association for Non-Auto Mobility, said he hopes that the adoption of PlanPHX will bring more bike lanes to Downtown and Central Phoenix.
“City Hall talks a lot about adding bike lanes, but they aren’t following that up with action,” Sweat said. “I hope that the Complete Streets policy work that is currently being done by a city-appointed committee, as well as the adoption of PlanPHX, will convince them that they need to start getting serious about bike lanes.”
The Phoenix Planning and Development Department said PlanPHX should bring more arts, culture entertainment, transportation, housing and local businesses to downtown while preserving the city’s history.
Sweat said he really likes PlanPHX 2015 because it does a good job of pointing Phoenix toward fostering more walking, biking and transit options. He hopes that after it is adopted, city staff will make sure private development and public infrastructure is built in a way that fosters these types of transportation.
Citizens are also able to share their ideas for the new general plan on MyPlanPHX, which will make it easier to contribute their ideas to improve the city and give feedback on upcoming development plans.
Hundreds of people have already contributed their ideas to the site, and each idea is forwarded to the PlanPHX Leadership Committee.
“I love that the committee is taking input and suggestions from the public,” Christy Brown, a Phoenix resident, said.
Brown said that she would like to see less development on state freeways such as the Loop 202, and more on things like the Valley Metro Light Rail, bike lanes, and shaded sidewalks.
Many residents agreed that building on to the Loop 202 would only create more urban sprawl, pollution and congestion in the city.
“The No. 1 thing people told us throughout this process was that they wanted a more connected city,” District 8 councilwoman Kate Gallego said. “We’re really connecting all of our planning together.”
The city has been working on this plan for over three years, PlanPHX Leadership Committee Chair Moe Stein said.
The plan aims to connect Phoenix residents to more parks, recreational facilities, trails, healthy food and water, education, jobs, housing, arts and culture.
District 6 councilman Sal DiCiccio called the plan a model for the country.
“I cannot think of another city in the nation that’s put together a plan like this,” he said.
Contact the reporter at dcnoehring@gmail.com.
