More (Super Bowl and other) links

In light of the Super Bowl, the Associated Press rehashes the City of Phoenix party line on downtown development, (this article ran in media outlets all over the world). While the big-ticket developments like stadiums and convention centers are fine, they are generally failures at putting people on the streets. I hope our leadership realizes that downtown Phoenix won't be a success until there are people on the streets day and night. Although it's cool that they quoted Matt of Matt's Big Breakfast.

On the other hand, another writer skewers Phoenix as "far too spread out," and notes the "downtown lacks life." (The Phoenix comment is toward the end of the story.)

Which brings me to my next Super Bowl-related point-- I heard from a source that's pretty well-connected in Phoenix sports business that the NFL Host Committee is not happy with the spread-out nature of our metro area. The NFL apparently dislikes the fact, for instance, that the Patriots stayed at the Westin in north Scottsdale, the Giants on the Gila River Reservation, the media in downtown Phoenix, and the game was played in west Glendale. Driving between those four points is an 81-mile, one hour and forty-five minute trip. My source tells me the NFL prefers cities "where everything is in one place." This matters as the Phoenix area tries to compete for future Super Bowls.

Finally, on another topic, Christopher Leinberger of the University of Michigan and Brookings Institution gave a great speech to the DREAM'R awards sponsored by the Downtown Phoenix Partnership. While he made a lot of great points, my favorite was when he noted that members of Generation X and Y pick a city in which to live and then build their careers there. Therefore, he noted, it's important to offer the walkable urban environment that so many Gen X and Y members prefer. As I've said before, Phoenix is living this reality as native Arizonans move to places like LA, DC and New York in search of urban life. You can get a flavor of his remarks in this chat he held with the Arizona Republic.