Editor's Note: Growth is Inevitable, Bad Design Doesn't Have To Be...

by Guy Roginson

Social, environmental, economic and geopolitical concerns are driving significant changes in our communities. What was once socially acceptable is now questioned. How we address inflation, our housing challenges, and use of water continue to create division. Navigating the growing political schism in our country leaves many feeling frustrated while others see vast plains of opportunity as they seize the day. It is truly a new world.

MAKE CHANGE FOR A GOOD LIFE

Intelligent, meaningful collaboration is key to addressing these issues in our communities. This is why Fain Signature group has decided to host these discussions using its multimedia platforms, in print (TG Magazine), digital (SignalsAZ.com), and streaming (CAST11 podcast). The intent is to bring together the many parties in the community to exchange knowledge while developing longterm solutions for our residents, families, businesses, and natural resources. This edition, “Rise of the Trades,” is not a one-off. The next edition of TG Magazine will cover “Design of a Community.” Between print editions, we will be sharing information and having discussions on our CAST11 podcast and online at SignalsAZ.com.

EDUCATION AND THE TRADES

Education and training are integral to a thriving community. How long have you recently waited for someone to come to your home to fix a window, repair a plumbing leak, or replace your HVAC unit? How long did you wait for that delivery? These trade professionals are the backbone of our business community, and yet, we have a serious shortage of these experts to help us. Industry reports state that we are short 80,000 commercially licensed truck drivers in the U.S. This is why we have partnered with Yavapai College and its Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to cover 20 trades programs across four campuses throughout central Arizona. CTE creates the professionals we need.

"WE’VE HEARD THE BEST PATH FOR MOST PEOPLE IS A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE. THESE THINGS BECOME PLATITUDES AND BEFORE LONG IT’S INCULCATED IN OUR MINDS THAT THERE IS A PATH TO SUCCESS AND THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT THESE STEREOTYPES AND STIGMAS ACTUALLY EXIST, AND RATHER THAN PRETEND THEY DON’T, IT’S USEFUL TO TALK ABOUT THEM HEAD-ON." - Mike Rowe

ATTAINABLE HOUSING

Education is really not the centerpiece of this edition. The focus of this effort is on attainable housing. The long-term goal is to create it. Without attainable housing our employees, small business owners, teachers, and first responders won’t stay. Without our trades professionals, services dry up, stores shut down, the local economy stagnates, roads begin to fall apart, schools suffer, and our quality of life diminishes.

As reported in the Arizona Republic on June 20, 2022 (1) , at least 30 apartment projects were put on hold in Phoenix in 2021 because of a myriad of issues, including a “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) attitude. According to the Arizona Department of Housing, to prevent the current housing challenges from becoming a real crisis, Arizona needs up to 270,000 additional dwellings with prices and rents below current market costs.

This is why the centerpiece article in this edition covers the first of many roundtable discussions on our housing challenges with industry leaders, business owners, communities, educators, students, first responders, land owners, healthcare professionals and community builders. We must all be talking to each other while including the residents in our community so they can hear and share input. What does attainable housing really look like and who needs to be collaborating to make it happen?

Recently, we have seen forms of this collaboration developing in cities like Tempe, where leadership attempted to direct permit fee revenues towards a fund to develop housing for low-income earners. Tempe’s “Hometown for All Initiative” was created after the city realized that non-profit partnerships and use of one-time money weren’t enough to meet the affordable housing demands. (2) However, that effort was recently tabled as the political wrestling matches continue. (3)

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Another important component of further discussions in this effort will be personal responsibility. The reality is, it’s not just about the home builder, the land owner, prevailing wage rates, or local taxes. It is also about the individual. How can we help and mentor individuals to become better versions of themselves and to lift themselves up, not for a hand out, but a hand up in our community? What is everyone doing at the individual level to make this a better place? That includes both the individual struggling to get ahead and the business leader or parent who has a wealth of knowledge to share.

If 71% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs and 97% of those with a mentor say they are valuable (4) , it’s time we discussed personal responsibility, it’s power, and the data behind mentoring. By the way, 25% of those who participated in a mentoring program experienced an increase in salary, compared to the only 5% of those who experienced a salary increase while not participating in a mentoring program (4) . Good choices, great rewards.

ONE MAN’S VISION

Bill Fain seeded Prescott Valley in 1960. Now, Prescott Valley is one of the most successful communities in central Arizona. His vision established the pillars of our community. He created the water company that the Town of Prescott Valley now owns and operates for its residents. His vision enabled the development of the region’s premier events center, The Findlay Toyota Center, and so much more. Now is our time to design together for a future and be inspired by those before us like Bill Fain, who in one man’s lifetime had an idea for a community, designed it, nurtured it, and watched it grow into a community for all of us to make a great life.

GROWTH IS HERE

You can find growth everywhere. Not just here in central Arizona, but globally. Take a look at the Google Earth Engine Timelapse. Human population won’t stop growing. We can’t shut the gate and keep people out just because we got here first. What we can do is design better together. How do we build our communities going into the future for a better life? If one man can create a town, imagine what many working together can do to build a good life for all. Growth is inevitable. Bad design doesn’t have to be.

Carpe Diem Unum,

Guy Roginson, Executive Editor, Talking Glass Media

References

(1) Catherine Reagor. Jan 30, 2022. We’re at the precipice: Why this business group is taking on NIMBYism in metro Phoenix. Arizona Republic.

(2) Paulina Pineda. Feb 01, 2022. What Tempe is doing with millions in Hometown for All affordable housing funding. Arizona Republic.

(3) Catherine Reagor. Feb 10, 2022. Controversial Arizona bill to override city zoning rules, address NIMBYism tabled. Arizona Republic.

(4) Nicola Cronin. Feb 03, 2020. Mentoring Statistics: The Research You Need to Know. Guider.

CTE creates the professionals we need.