All-America City projects: Phoenix’s Urban Higher Education initiative
June 4, 2009 at 3:14 pm by Wayne Garcia
With less than two weeks to go until the National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference convenes in Tampa, I’m going to begin posting information about the various city projects that are nominated for recognition.
The reason? No. 1, because I am a civics geek. I believe that not only should communities work together to improve themselves but that citizens have a moral responsibility to be part of that process. No. 2, Tampa Bay civic activists can learn a lot from how 30 other cities are doing it, stealing a few good ideas along the way that we can use here at home.
And No. 3, Tampa is a finalist.
To recap, 30 cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best.
One of the finalists is Phoenix, Ariz., which submitted three projects: its Urban Higher Education effort, its parks and land preservation program and its pro-teen library initiative.
I’m going to focus on the Urban Higher Ed project, as that seems to hold lessons for Tampa Bay. From the National Civicl League’s summary of the project:
Phoenix, Arizona
Urban Higher Education
Life-altering drug discoveries, collaboration between high school students and international bioscience leaders, and a new, vibrant, urban university campus are among the results of Phoenix’s decision to build the future. The impact of the community’s nearly half-billion dollar investment in urban education can be measured by research partnerships, student success, a downtown renaissance, and a steady flow of creative ideas resulting in economic activity exceeding $4 billion. Funding came from the city’s 2006 Citizens Bond Program, organized by more than 700 residents and supported overwhelmingly by voters. The result? Two academic campuses, the Phoenix Biomedical Campus and the new ASU Downtown Phoenix campus, are blossoming in downtown Phoenix, where previously educational opportunities were limited. The community’s investment and partnerships for research and education eventually will create 26,000 jobs, educate 18,000 students and spur an economic impact of $2.6 billion annually.
