Designing the Resilient Desert City , Phoenix / Vereinigte Staaten

 

AIA Phoenix Metro, Phoenix (US)

 

Urban desert cities and their communities face a hostile future.  

 

The City of Tempe, one of the densest communities in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, is already a leader in climate action. The City’s 2019 Climate Action Plan (CAP) and subsequent CAP Update in 2022 chart a more sustainable, resilient path for Tempe’s future, with strategies proposed to reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions, increase resilience to extreme heat, raise green construction standards, and develop a multi-modal transit network. The adoption of these plans has led to Tempe to become one of 122 global cities to be recognized for climate action leadership by CDP in its 2022 Cities A List.

 

Yet, there is still work to be done.

 

Change at this scale cannot happen overnight. Many of the strategies outlined in the CAP remain on paper only. The Sustainability and Resilience Office partners with City departments, non-profits, businesses, academia, and community-based organizations to build awareness and support for these actions to be codified by the city council, funded through the city budget, and finally implemented in the community. The opportunity to implement these initiatives and standards is now, especially as our landlocked city has a growing population and experiences rapid development in our built environment. The Sustainability and Resilience Commission desires to create more awareness around the City’s sustainability goals and to help residents, businesses, city staff, and partners visualize what their future city may look like if it is to reach the CAP’s aspirations.

 

The time is now to design the resilient communities we need in the future so that we can see the path forward.

 

The competition is open to everyone and anyone who wishes to enter.

 

May 1 – Registration Opens, Start of Q&A Period  All questions must be sent to diana@aia-arizona.org.

 

May 30 – Close of Q&A Period at 11:59 PM

 

June 7 – Responses to Q&A Posted to AIA Phoenix Metro Website

 

July 1 – Registration Deadline: All Registrations Due at 11:59 PM

 

July 23 – Submission Deadline: All Entries Due at 11:59 PM.  All submissions must be sent to diana@aia-arizona.org.

 

August 17 – Award Ceremony at Tempe Center for the Arts.  The ceremony will be part of a monthly AIA meeting and will be held in the Lakeside Room beginning at 6:00 pm.

 

Fall 2023 – Presentations to Community & Partner Organizations Winning entries may be invited to present their entries to various stakeholders after the conclusion of the competition

 

Brian Farling, AIA

Principal, Jones Studio

 

Selina Martinez

Co-founder and Lead Instructor, Design Empowerment Phoenix, Sagrado Galleria

 

Elizabeth McLean, AIA

Associate Principal, Ayers Saint Gross

 

Dr. Diane E. Pataki

Foundation Professor & Director, ASU School of Sustainability

 

Wellington “Duke” Reiter, FAIA

Senior Adviser to the President, Arizona State University

 

Josh Rutherford

Economic Development Program Manager, City of Tempe

 

Byron Sampson, ASLA

University Landscape Architect, Arizona State University