[Source: Joe Snell, Special to the Arizona Daily Star] – A visually attractive, highly functioning community is an important competitive advantage in economic development. Unfortunately, Tucson’s development history is often marred by perceptions that progress is slow.
The key to overcoming these perceptions and improving the region’s development processes is community agreement on which areas to develop and which areas to preserve.
We must act now so opportunities do not pass us by. Coordinated planning and responsible stewardship of the region’s land resources are important to balancing growth with environmental objectives.
Often land developers and environmentalists are seen as opponents in land use planning. But what we all need to realize is that we are on the same team in planning for the future of our community. We must act as a metropolitan community and realize that we are stronger together than the sum of our parts.
Labor drives economic development, and it is increasingly in short supply. Talent today values a community with beauty, recreational opportunities, an adequate transportation system, sustainable principles and sound environmental practices.
If we can agree on where to grow and what to preserve, then we can attract and retain the jobs and talent we all want for ourselves and future generations.
An emerging example of where to grow