Main Street Mesa

Quick update: The veto is a good thing Prepare for the next legislative cycle MAG Transportation Policy Committee could use your voice ensuring people -first policies are warranted

New legislation coming from the AZ Legislators, namely the Freedom Caucus, restricts freedom for communities to reprioritize their hostile roads into community-centric streets. AZ SB1246 prioritizes the fear of congestion over ever other worthy goal: safety, economic vitality, culture, clean, quiet, people-centric street design is DENIED BY PROPOSED LAW. This can be stopped by Governor Hobbs. Email jcruz@az.gov ASAP to urge a veto of this flawed, dangerous agenda packaged as SB1246. Keep up the good work!

Read the update on Arizona Senate Bill SB1122 in this News Alert: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ikyANC2IGK7cPklCu2RaHJGTgQqv_TH7/view?usp=share_link  

Interlude Episode to feature an award winning student planner: Michael Huff from Northern Arizona University. Michael explores what was gained as he delved into a student project regarding a theoretical site for affordable housing in Flagstaff, Arizona. His student project was featured as an awarded plan at the 2021 Western States Planning Conference held in Arizona. Read the plan: The Meadows and Schultz Pass for a sample of Michael's work. Reach Michael Huff at michaelhuff17@gmail.com Musical Credit: Pulsefire Ezreal (Free) by Rameses B at https://ramesesb.bandcamp.com 

Main Street Mesa brings on innovative city builders for today's episode. Lucas Lindsey and Roberta Clay caught our attention as they are bringing their passion for a small scale development projects to the topic of today's show: 4Square. Their story about the making of 4Square offers insights for beneficial small-scale development that keep our communities thriving and offering more variety of housing options and access to high-demand neighborhoods. Why does this project matter? What are some basic elements can unlock more neighborhood potential? We cover that and more in this conversation. Find more about Lucas at http://venueprojects.com/ and Roberta can be contacted at roberta@rclayarchitect.com.

Main Street Mesa brings another guest on to talk about safe streets in our series focused mostly on safety, but always making room for the benefits of the human-scale city design and groundbreaking news happening around us.  Episode #3 features Scott Kelley. Scott is a respected expert on traffic safety with over 17 years of experience. He is a cofounder of Greenlight Engineering (https://greenlighttrafficengineering.com/) where the firm is involved in traffic and transportation engineering for traffic operations, safety, design projects, and more across the state, region, or as small as an intersection. Scott is a numbers guy, but his knowledge and insights go beyond the numbers. Listen to Ryan and Scott have a conversation about the industry and how there's room for progress and advocacy by listeners like you. If interested, you can reach Scott Kelley here: scottk@greenlightte.com or on LinkedIn. You can follow Main Street Mesa on Facebook or Twitter. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on any major pod-catcher app you choose. Be sure to give us a 5-star review! Thank you for listening and we hope a little more informed in your civic engagement for a livable community.

Culdesac Tempe (https://culdesac.com/) is described as a car-free rental apartment community in Tempe, AZ, about half way between Tempe's Downtown and Mesa's Downtown. Lava Sunder, the general manager for the soon-to-be community, joins the podcast to lay it out. Ryan and David are impressed and excited to share this conversation. Please enjoy and share. Lava's twitter: @LavanyaSunderCuldesac twitter: @culdesac Kudos to Stone Martin for the episode's theme music. As always, feel free to follow us at @MainStreetMesa or email us at mainstmesa@gmail.com

Ryan Wozniak and Yung Koprowski explore the possibilities of safer streets in Mesa and the region dominated by fast, convenient, and deadly car travel. New theme music is thanks to Stone Martin (this you have to hear). David was away this episode, which gave Ryan ample opportunity to mess up the recording process... but after hours of editing, the conversation was salvaged for the benefit of the relaunch of the pod. Here's the first in the series where we explore safe streets, why we need them, what works against them, and what are the opportunities to promote a safer, more humane, and more equitable street design.

Join hosts Ryan & David as we discuss Chapters 5 & 6 from Charles Montgomery's Happy City -- and Ryan's MAN ON THE STREET interview at Parking Day 2018! 

This episode, we try something a little different. We invited Camille, our guest from the last episode, to curate her own guests and give us a little different perspective than just Ryan and David talking. join us for this grand experiment! Be sure to join in the conversation on our Facebook Page (fb.com/MainStreetMesa)!

Join Ryan & David as we talk about Ryan's visit with Jeff Speck at some liberal fancy-schmantz institution and the upcoming visit of St. Marohn to the Valley of The Sunburn -- and why you should be there on Wednesday, August 8th at the AE England Building in downtown Phoenix!   Join Valley advocates as they host Strong Towns president Charles Marohn at a free, public Curbside Chat on Aug. 8, 2018. Reception 5 p.m. Welcome/Program, 5:30 p.m. Q&A and Discussion, 7 p.m. RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1730646090359602/ Join us afterward at Valley Bar.

Join Ryan and David, with special guest Camille, as we begin our podcast bookclub of Charles Montgomery's Happy City! We're covering the first two Chapters of the book.  You can find a copy of Happy City at your local independent bookstore or online at IndieBound.

Ryan and David get back in the swing of things! In this episode, Ryan and David discuss: - Why "Happy City" by Charles Montgomery - Elaine Herzberg's death - Co+Hoots in Downtown Mesa - ASU Downtown Mesa Campus - Dockless Bike Share - CNU 26.SAVANNAH - and more!  

On October 28, at the Statewide conference of the Arizona Chapter of the American Planning Association, Ryan and David, along with guest host Jeff McVey, and guests Milagros Zingoni & Ram Pendyala presented on Engagement by Podcast (and how you can (and should) make your own podcast) -- and also our final episode in the Walkable City Podcast Book Club. Ram Pendyala is a Professor of Transportation Systems and Director of a USDOT-sponsored University Transportation Center in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University Milagros Zingoni is an Assistant Professor at The Design School, at Arizona State University (and Mesa resident). Jeff McVey is the Manager of Downtown Transformation for the City of Mesa. David and Ryan make podcasts.

We're joined by Luis Montes, another Mesa advocate and thinker as we discuss Steps 9 & 10 of Jeff Speck's Walkable City in our Podcast Book Club -- the last two chapters in the book. We discuss development issues, street design, fancy architects and more. If you're following along in the book, we're reading pages 237 until the end (page 265) in the first paperback edition. (Series 1, Episode 10) (Series 1, Episode 10)

On the evening of September 7th, RAILMesa put together a forum with three local experts to talk about housing in Mesa and what it means to our community. Our intention was to keep the event at a conversational level and limit it to an hour, and we mostly kept to that promise. The forum was held inside the East Valley Institute of Technology.  Our special guests included our moderator, Michael Rohd (ASU Center for Performance and Civic Practice), Jon Ford (Vitalyst Health Foundation), Mark Stapp (ASU W. P. Carey School of Business), and Deirdre Pfeiffer (ASU School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning). 

This Episode! We discuss Steps 7 & 8 - Shape the Spaces and Plant Trees with our very special guests, Aimee Williamson, Executive Director of Trees Matter, as well as Martin Scribner, Director of Planning for the City of Maricopa and urbanism wonk from the American Planning Association. (Series 1, Episode 9)

In which we cover Chapter 6 - Welcome Bikes in Jeff Speck's Walkable City. Our guest this month is Jim Hash, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Mesa. (Series 1, Episode 8)

Join David. Ryan, and special guest Eileen for a ramble-icious episode of the book club! Where we discuss rural roads, Tempe Streetcar, state highways in different counties . . . . and how Walkable City relates to Mesa and other cities like it! We cover pages 139-188 in the first paperback edition -- sections Step 4: Let Transit Work and The Safe Walk / Step 5: Protect the Pedestrian. (Series 1, Episode 7)

Join David & Ryan, and special guests Andrea and Ivis as they discuss Step 2: Mix the Uses and Step 3: Get the Parking Right (pages 105 through 138) of Jeff Speck's Walkable City.  Ryan, Andrea & Ivis recorded together from New York City (New York City!?) from the American Planning Association's national conference.  David was stuck in a car during his lunch hour in Tempe. (Series 1, Episode 6)

Join us on our fifth episode (which David is certain is our sixth) as we begin our journey into the 10 steps or Walkability -- starting with The Useful Walk: Step 1: Put Cars in their Place. Our guest this episode is Chad Frederick, who just finished his book 'America's Addition to the Automobile.' (Series 1, Episode 5.. not 6, David)

Join Ryan, David, and Jewel as we discuss Pages 36-63 --'Why Johnny Can’t Walk' & 'The Wrong Color Green.' Be sure to join in the conversation on Facebook at Main Street Mesa! (Series 1, Episode 4) Recorded at Mesa Public Library.

David and Ryan had some technical difficulties recording at the Mesa Park of the Canals, so we catch up and go over the book sections "Why Walkability?" and "Walking, the Urban Advantage" from Jeff Speck's Walkable City, while drinking beer at Il Vinaio on Main Street. (Series 1, Episode 3)

Join Ryan, David and special guest Ari as we begin reviewing Jeff Speck's Walkable City. Now's your chance to read along with us! Write in, send in a comment, be a guest!

Meet Ryan and David, hear about where they plan to take the podcast and the social mediums, and introduce the podcast book club.