The Jan. 1 issue of the Arizona Republic featured a cooperative project between the City of Mesa and ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning.
Mesa’s mayor Scott Smith envisioned a centrally located, public gathering place in the heart of the city, comparable to the town squares or plazas that exist in many other cities. When a bond election in November provided start-up funding to design the plaza, the city turned to ASU’s planning program for help.
The outcome is a spring 2013 course offering, “Place-making in Mesa,” in which graduate students will work at producing a viable concept for the town square. The course is taught by Senior Sustainability Scientist and School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning Professor David Pijawka.