What We've Heard
Phase II
What We've Heard Most
Open House #3
Open House #2
Open House #1
Pop-ups
Where We've Been (map)
Making the community aware of the discussions we're having in a transparent way is an important part of this planning effort. We will post links to recordings, graphics, and summaries here as community engagement events take place. Check back often to see what's new!
What We've Heard Most
Preliminary Key Themes
- Desire for fast, reliable, frequent transit service
- Multimodal (bike and pedestrian) connectivity
- Affordable Housing & Gentrification Concerns
Open House #3
Our third Open House was held on October 21, 2023 at Sam Lena Library.
Open House #2
Our second Open House was held on October 19, 2023 at El Pueblo Activity Center.
Open House #1
Our first Open House was held on October 17, 2023 at Pima Community College Downtown Campus.
Pop ups
August 8, 2023 | Tohono T'adai Transit Center
August 9, 2023 | Ronstadt Transit Center
August 9, 2023 | Roy Laos Transit Center
August 28, 2023 | CMS Gunny Park
September 14, 2023 | Sunnyside High School
September 15, 2023 | Stone Avenue
September 17, 2023 | Mission Manor Park
September 22, 2023 | South Tucson Housing Authority
October 29, 2023 | CycloviaWhere We've Been
For a summary of Phase II engagement efforts, click here.
Phase I
What We've Heard Most
Open House #3
Survey
Open House #2
Pop-ups
Open House #1
Where We've Been (map)
What We've Heard Most
Top Community Engagement Themes
The following themes were stated most often throughout the engagement process for Tucson Norte-Sur. These themes will be the focus of Phase 2 of Tucson Norte-Sur.
The following results came from:
- 6 Open Houses
- 6 Community Dialogues
- 7 Focus Groups
- 14 Pop-ups
- 32 Online Ideas
- 2,417 Survey Responses
Open House #3
Our third round of open houses were held at South Tucson City Council (11/15), Armory Park Center (11/16), La Esquina (11/17), and Jacinto Park (11/19). The boards presented can be found here, and the discussion themes and take-aways from each event can be found here (TBD).
North Side
November 17, 2022 |Jacinto Park
South Side
November 17, 2022 | La Esquina
Central
November 16, 2022 | Armory Park Center
South Tucson
November 15, 2022 | South Tucson City Council
Pop-ups
Airport Pop-up
November 18, 2022 | Tucson International Airport
Ochoa Community School Cafecito Pop-up
November 2, 2022 | Ochoa Community School
Cyclovia Pop-up
October 30, 2022 | Pima Community College Activity Hub
Taqueria Alamos Pop-up
October 23, 2022 | Taqueria Alamos
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Sunnyside Foundation Gives Day 5K/10K Burrito Run & Wellness Resource Fair
September 18, 2022 | Mission Manor Park
Community Dialogues
Tucson House Community Dialogue: August 25
South Tucson Housing Authority Community Dialogue: July 28 | South Tucson Housing Authority
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Ward 5 Neighborhoods Community Dialogue: July 26, El Pueblo Senior Center
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Sunnyside School District Community Dialogue: July 7, Sunnyside High School
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Old Pascua Community Dialogue: July 6, Richey Resource Center
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Ward 3 Neighborhoods Community Dialogue: June 23, 2022 | Literacy Connects
Click on photos to enlarge them
Focus Groups
Focus group meetings were held with subject-matter experts to discuss topics that were highlighted as important considerations for this project. Below is a summary of key takeaways from those meetings.
Public Transit (full meeting notes can be found here)
- Re-brand public transit and make it more attractive
- Utilize Universal Design principles when designing bus stops for equitable access
- There's a need for education on how the integrated transit system works (bus and streetcar)
- Work with businesses and destinations along the corridor to help them advertise the ability to reach them by transit
- The transit system needs to increase night and weekend bus service to match peoples' work schedules (particularly entry level and service industry jobs)
- Increase the safety of bus stops by installing nighttime lighting
- Maximize the number of bike trays on buses to improve transit access for cyclists
- Make the signage at bus stops more visible and uniform
Housing & Neighborhoods (full meeting notes can be found here)
- Attract service-providing businesses for neighborhood revitalization and job creation
- Build affordable housing to prevent displacement/gentrification
- Work with entities along the corridor to house people experiencing homelessness
- Revitalize South Tucson where there are many vacant lots
- Utilize community benefit agreements to protect existing neighborhoods
- Hold investors and developers to a higher standard
- Build accountability measures and follow-up into community benefit agreements
Land Use & Development (full meeting notes can be found here)
- Overlay zones are an important opportunity to encourage the desired type of development
- Build both affordable and middle-income housing to create mixed-income neighborhoods
- Focus development in the South Side segment which has been neglected in previous redevelopment projects
- Retrofit the Tucson Mall
- Enhance the established historic districts in the Study Area and better understand cultural resources
- Each segment should have unique regulations due to their inherent differences
- The more certainty (such as timeline, allowances, disallowances) the code can give developers, the more likely they are to pursue a project
Economic Development & Jobs (full meeting notes can be found here)
- This project is an opportunity to bring new tourism and economic development to Tucson
- Address the Tourism Master Plan's recommendation for improved transportation, walkability and connectivity
- Enhance transit to major employers in the north and south
- Transit and mixed use development will result in enhanced economic activity
- Mitigate potential displacement of residents and businesses
- The City of Tucson needs a comprehensive approach to combat displacement
Active Mobility (full meeting notes can be found here)
- Expand transportation opportunities, improve walkability, and locate goods and services closer to housing, particularly for Tucson's growing population of older adults
- Increased mobility options are directly linked to improved safety, equity, and decreasing environmental impacts
- For older adults, barriers to active mobility include: uneven/broken sidewalks, a lack of shade and benches, signage with small font and low contrast
- Large arterial streets with high speed limits are dangerous to cross
- There are large gaps in the bicycle infrastructure in the South Side segment
- Need to invest in housing/land before property values increase
- Consider adaptive reuse for existing, underutilized structures along the corridor
- Bring tribal party representatives to the table when considering tribal lands in the Study Area
Equity (full meeting notes can be found here)
- Getting people out of cars and into transit is advantageous
- Concern about residents and businesses getting priced out of the Study Area
- Great opportunity for residents to be able to travel by transit the length of the corridor without multiple transfers
- Include passive rainwater harvesting techniques in new development to combat flooding
- North Oracle is highly congested with traffic, increased transit should help alleviate some of it
- Need to consider environmental justice, public safety, access to housing, and employment alongside transportation
Parks, Public Spaces, Arts & Culture (full meeting notes can be found here)
- Iconic public and/or cultural spaces along the corridor:
- Sam Lena Library and John Valenzuela Youth Center in South Tucson
- Both high schools along South 12th Ave and places of worship
- Ensure that City-owned parcels along the route are transformed into civic uses or green spaces that benefit surrounding neighborhoods
- Utilize development incentives to encourage the development of widespread vacant lots (especially on the South Side)
- Partner with local artists during the design phase and incorporate public art into public spaces
- Prioritize access to green spaces and parks
- There are no public green spaces in the City of South Tucson and this is a huge community need
- South Tucson needs street lighting and proper signage for biking and walking to improve wayfinding
Survey
The survey ran from March 18 to June 15, receiving 2,417 entries. The infographic below highlights the summarized results of the multiple choice questions, while the word clouds represent the responses to some of the open ended questions.
Click on the photo above to enlarge it.
What do you love about neighborhoods in the Study Area?
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What key words come to mind when you think about change in the Study Area?
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Open House #2
Our second round of Open Houses were held at Literacy Connects on the North Side (5/16), YWCA House of Neighborly Services in South Tucson (5/17), and Sunnyside High School on the South Side (5/18). Thanks to everyone who came and participated! We had a big map of the Study Area and had participants place little models of different development types on the map, as well as stickers for things like parks, neighborhood amenities, or no change.
You can see individual comments in the Tag the Map tool (the pins that say "Open House 2 Comments") here: https://www.tucsonnorte-sur.com/engage/maps/pin-our-map
Below is a summary of what we heard:
Investment on the North Side could look like:
- Generally, folks could see higher density development in the North Side:
- 3-5 story mixed use development along N. Stone Avenue
- 6+ story mixed use development along N. Oracle Road
- 6+ story mixed use development at the Tucson Mall with river access
- Pocket parks along N Stone Avenue in Balboa and Keeling neighborhoods
- Protected bike lanes along N Stone Avenue
- Sidewalk repair on N Oracle by the Tucson Mall
- Services needed:
- Harm reduction clinic
Investment in the Central subarea could look like:
- Park at the SE corner of N Stone and E 6th St
- Park at the SE corner of W St Mary's Rd and N Church Ave
- Protected bike lanes along Speedway
Investment in South Tucson could look like:
- There was less desire for new housing in South Tucson and more desire for new small businesses, needed services, and neighborhood enhancements
- New small businesses between South 6th and South 4th Avenues
- Mixed use just north of I-10 between S 6th and S 4th Avenues (to include public space or a park)
- No change (single family homes) on E 39th St between S 6th and S 4th Avenues
- Single family (no change) in established low-density neighborhoods
- Art gallery for South Tucson artists on S 6th Ave
- Needed services:
- Emergency housing shelter
- Harm reduction clinic (other input indicated these services are not wanted by some in South Tucson)
- Assisted living
Investment on the South Side could look like:
- Generally, input indicated a desire for more parks and housing on the South Side, and fewer industrial uses
- More trees for shade along South 6th Ave
- Redevelop or renovate existing (vacant) commercial properties along South 6th to be small businesses
- No change in special food areas
- 6+ story mixed use development at/near the Rodeo Grounds (which are underutilized)
- Laos Transit Center and El Pueblo Center need improvements
- Parks in the following neighborhoods: Fairgrounds, Bravo Park Lane, Cherry Avenue and by the Airport
- 3-5 story and 6+ story residential development along the proposed high capacity transit line (S Park Ave, E Drexel Rd)
Below is a summary of the key themes from the Activity Board:
What is important to preserve and uplift?
- Culture, people, and the community
- Home ownership/affordability/anti-displacement
- Small and local businesses
What would you like to see more of in your neighborhood?
- Trees/green space
- Affordable housing
- Clean streets and neighborhoods
- Parks
- Conveniently-located and inviting transit stops/stations
Do you have any concerns about the project?
- Gentrification, displacement, increased housing costs, predatory development tactics
- [Need for] Community involvement in future projects and development (3)
Would additional transit be beneficial to you and your family? How?
- Cost-savings /free transit/ equitable pricing
You can check out photos from the events under "Photos" on the right side of this page!
The board below summarizes completed and planned engagement opportunities and what the engagement process looks like (click to enlarge):
Click on the photo above to enlarge it.
Open House 2 - South Side
May 18, 2022 | Sunnyside High School
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Open House 2 - South Tucson
May 17, 2022 | YWCA House of Neighborly Service
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Open House 2 - North Side
May 16, 2022 | Literacy Connects
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Pop-ups:
Fiesta in the 05 Pop-up
June 4, 2022 | Richey Resource Center
Amphi Neighborhood Memorial Day Party Pop-up
May 30, 2022 | Literacy Connects
Click on the photo above to enlarge it.
Ronstadt Transit Center Pop-up
May 20, 2022 | Ronstadt Transit Center
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Laos Transit Center Pop-up
May 14, 2022 | Laos Transit Center
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Ochoa Fiesta Pop-up
May 13, 2022 | Ochoa Community School
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Eagle's Nest Community Event Pop-up
May 4, 2022 | Apollo Middle School
Click on the photo above to enlarge it.
South Tucson Earth Day Celebration Pop-up
April 24, 2022 | El Kiosko De Los Niños
Click on the photo above to enlarge it.
Open House #1
Our first round of Open Houses were held on March 18th and 19th Downtown at Armory Park, on the North Side at Limberlost Park, and on the South Side at the Frank De La Cruz Library. We had a great turnout and spoke to an estimated 75 participants. Here's what we heard:
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