couple years ago, we kicked off our Congress Street focus with a workshop at which our nationally-renowned featured speaker, Donovan Rypkema, presented a list of 12 elements of successful downtown revitalization.
The first among these was Leadership, which included a local champion for downtown revitalization; institutional presence in, and support for, downtown; stakeholders who are responsive to change; an overall vision or comprehensive plan; and a downtown organization providing a path to broader community leadership.
The second element was Comprehension, specifically the idea that the public sector, the business community within and outside of Downtown, and the community at large, must understand the importance of Downtown, and know what and where it is. In the interest of not teasing you by withholding the other 10 major elements, they included: management, partnerships, public sector participation, community orientation, diversity, differentiation, pedestrian orientation, market sensitivity, incrementalism, and forward thinking.
Just a few weeks ago, culminating several months of discussions with City of Tucson, Pima County, and University of Arizona officials, a private sector group calling itself the “Friends of Downtown” held a “summit” at Downtown’s Stillwell House, at which the Friends introduced themselves and officials from the highest levels of local government and the University of Arizona, and pledged that they would bring Pima County, the City of Tucson, and the private sector together in support of Downtown redevelopment.
To have members of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and other significant local business leaders make a commitment to Downtown Tucson, and to recognize its value to our city, is extremely important, to say the least. The Tucson Downtown Alliance, the City, and Downtown’s stakeholders have long recognized the need to have the community at large committed to the improvement of Downtown as a cultural and economic asset for Tucson. The small Downtown community can’t accomplish revitalization all by itself; that should be clear to everyone by now.
The enthusiasm of the Friends of Downtown should be most welcome, even as some of us resist the temptation to ask “what took you so long to get interested in Downtown?”
As I listened to the exhortations of the Friends group that Friday afternoon, a number of questions came to mind—questions that could be applied to the phenomenon of any newcomers to the Downtown scene, whether they join the Friends of Downtown or not.
How can we harness this talent, these resources, this energy, this can-do spirit, and help this group (or others) to focus on the goals that have been established through years of public input and participation? What would be the best way to help them to understand what Downtown is all about, its nuances, its soul—without coming off like an insular club of Downtowners who don’t want to share our sandbox with people with a fresh perspective? Can the existing Downtown community show that it is open to new ideas, while asking Downtown’s new friends to appreciate what has already been done?
How do we persuade the Friends that Downtown is not in a state where we need to start over, and that we can truly build on some significant, yet not always obvious, assets? Can we reach out in a way that does not come off as pitiful on the one hand, or smug on the other? How shall we demonstrate what those who have already invested in Downtown have to offer, without seeming like nativists who reject the input of newcomers? In short, how can we all learn from each other for the betterment of Downtown, for the benefit of Tucson?
For one thing, we can demonstrate leadership by welcoming new leadership. We can show leadership by elevating our own comprehension and that of our new friends. To borrow a Rypkema-ism, let’s be the stakeholders who embrace change.
Let’s try to channel the energy and initiative to implement plans that have long ago been adopted, and try to solve relatively small, but important problems that can improve the quality of life in Downtown now, without waiting for big projects to provide what Downtown needs. Big projects are coming, and can create fundamental paradigm shifts for Downtown, but more organic, incremental growth is necessary to maintain a stable and sustainable urban environment.
Let’s encourage diversity of economics and functionality, and work with the greater Tucson community, government and private sector, to make Downtown reflective of the diversity of our city. Let us challenge ourselves and others to foster partnerships and a sense of community ownership of Downtown.
We can commit to making Downtown revitalization part of Tucson’s “smart growth” strategy. We must work together to ascertain Downtown’s competitive advantage in a growing city and a changing global economy. Let’s reconnect Downtown to Tucson’s neighborhoods, and to the region, nation, and world.
It’s an exciting time. It’s exciting that new players on the scene care about what is going on in Downtown Tucson. And yes, it’s exciting that people are motivated by the opportunity to gain financially in Downtown. Let’s take advantage of the fact that the Friends of Downtown and others who are sure to follow soon, are taking notice of Downtown, and want to invest their time, money and energy, to make it a better place.
Donovan Durband
Executive Director,
Tucson Downtown Alliance
From The Editor