The new Phoenix

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All the great cities of the world have large public waterfront spaces. It's time Phoenix became one of those cities. My big idea for Phoenix is to extend Tempe town lake 8 miles west to just past 7th Avenue. This would create a 10 mile long recreational area, reservoir, and fishery that would immediately encourage the kind of development that Phoenix needs in order to truly become a world-class city.

Tempe town lake has been a monumental success for the city, and it can be the same for Phoenix. Consideration should be given to the idea of bringing the light-rail south along Central Ave to Broadway to encourage downtown-style redevelopment in the blighted area between 7th Ave and 7th Street, from Jackson south to Broadway, some rezoning and investment may also be necessary. A portion of the I-17/SR-60 should also be buried, like the I-10, creating a tunnel with a park above it. In the end, Phoenix will have a large and strong downtown bisected by both a beautiful park and waterway.