8 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | JULY 2018 but there are a ton of practical reasons why it’s a good idea as well. Cities, at their core, are designed to be places that have the kind of infrastructure that can support large populations living in the same place. And Phoenix is seeing a significant uptick in construction of dense, multifamily projects and a move away from urban sprawl. When you think about where the great parks of the world are located, you think of Central Park in New York, or Hyde Park in London, or other places that have “big city density.” Phoenix isn’t there yet, and never quite will be, but the city is seeing an influx of thousands of new residents to its urban core. Those residents need outdoor spaces. If you live on a one-acre plot in Paradise Valley, you probably don’t need to go to the park to get your outdoor fix. But if you live in a one-bedroom flat in a high-rise downtown, you need quality public spaces to fully enjoy the Valley’s quality of life. That’s why it’s so critical to make our parks as welcoming as possible — they are going to be used with increasing frequency as time goes along. “As we’re seeing all the development that is going on downtown with residential towers and growth of downtown, it’s important to have this signature park,” Bach said. “A lot of those properties don’t have backyards, so this provides that aspect and serves the role of a neighborhood park.” The transition is still in its early stages, Bach said, and it may be done in phases over time as funds are raised. If you want to keep tabs on progress, check back to the project’s web page at Phoenix.gov/Parks/ HanceRevitalization . But the wheels are in motion, and one day in the somewhat near future, we may have our own world-class park in the heart of downtown Phoenix. NEXT DOORS CONTINUED

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