Case Study:
Downtown Phoenix Urban Form Project
The Downtown Phoenix Urban Form Project is a collaborative process to
shape future growth and to help realize the Downtown Strategic vision
for a livelier, more integrated and sustainable downtown. The city has
embarked on this project due to heightened development interest: a
variety of residential, retail, and office projects are being proposed
on vacant sites throughout downtown. The existing zoning does not
ensure that projects built will create an attractive downtown with
shade, pedestrian-oriented streets and quality design. The zoning needs
to be revised in order to achieve a great downtown that can be an
exciting destination for the residents of Phoenix and the region.
The Urban Form Project is intended to establish the rules that will
guide downtown as it continues to develop and transform. The actual
transformation of downtown depends primarily on the initiative of the
private sector and will be driven by market demand for housing, office,
hotel, and retail. The city plays a key role by investing in streets,
parks, art, and other improvements and by assisting critical “catalyst”
projects such as the ASU Downtown Campus and the biomedical center.
Project Area
The study area contains about 1,500 acres, roughly bounded by Seventh
Avenue and Seventh Street, McDowell Road to the north and Buckeye Road
to the south. The geographical heart of the city, the study area
includes Copper Square, the 90-block core of downtown, where the
majority of the area's office, convention, cultural, university,
biomedical, entertainment and government uses are located. The study
area also encompasses residential neighborhoods, historic districts,
unique arts districts and many vacant and underutilized areas that
offer outstanding opportunities for continued growth.