East Valley, Pinal County planners focus on jobs

Future developments in the far East Valley-Pinal County region must focus more intensely on jobs so residents won't have to drive such long distances to work, said developers and planners.

VIDEO: A look at the far East Valley future

Click on graphic below for proposed region transportation routes

Speaking at a forum on "The Future of Our Region" Thursday hosted by the East Valley Partnership and the Pinal Partnership, urban planner John Fregonese said concerns about the price of oil and climate change will cause new East Valley residents to want shorter trips for work and recreation. That in turn will create a demand for more mixed-use developments that combine housing with jobs, retail and entertainment uses.

"We have the potential here to do it right," he said.

Fregonese, who heads his own urban planning firm in Portland, Ore., is acting as a consultant for Superstition Vistas, a 275-square-mile area of state trust land south of U.S. 60 that is being planned by the two partnerships and Salt River Project.

He said the south East Valley extending into Pinal County could capture up to 1.8 million residents by midcentury, at the current rate of growth, becoming a key center of the emerging Phoenix-Tucson megalopolis. He envisions the region having three to six urban cores, or town centers, which would be hubs of commerce, employment and cultural amenities.

With the average household size decreasing, demand is likely to increase for apartments and condos and decrease for single-family houses in the region.

The population in the area will be large enough to support another university in addition to Arizona State University Polytechnic, Fregonese said. Publicly or privately supported, oriented toward research and hosting 20,000 to 30,000 students, it could serve as a catalyst for creating jobs, he said.

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport will serve as another job center, having an impact on the region equivalent to the influence of John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., he said. And he sees several freeways and a commuter rail line connecting the far East Valley to Phoenix and Tucson.

Finally, he said preservation of open spaces will be important for keeping the area attractive to newcomers.

Other speakers supported Fregonese's emphasis on creating jobs. "What is important is economic sustainability," said Peggy Fiandaca, who is leading a consulting team drawing up a development plan for Pinal County.