What?
AZ One, a Reality Check for Central Arizona, is a one-day exercise that will bring together more than 300 diverse stakeholders to discuss, analyze and develop alternative growth scenarios for this rapidly growing region. Participants will work in groups to envision where and how the next 6 million people expected to move here will live and work. The group will allocate expected growth patterns using Legos® in a hands on approach that will visually depict challenges and opportunities facing the Central Arizona region which includes all of Maricopa County and the northern portion of Pinal County.

Who?
Over 300 stakeholders will be selected from open nominations and invited to participate in the morning visioning process. The group will ultimately represent all sectors of the community, including government and elected officials, Tribal communities, large corporations and small businesses,

non-profits, neighborhood activists, interfaith groups, environmentalists, educators and others. The selection process has been developed to ensure diversity from across the region. To nominate yourself or others for the opportunity to participate in the morning visioning process, visit www.azOneFuture.com.

Initiated by the Urban Land Institute, AZ One is a collaboration of the State of Arizona, the Governor’s Growth Cabinet and an additional 18 public, private and civic alliances. Among these alliances are: Arizona State University, Central Arizona Association of Governments, East Valley Partnership, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Sonoran Institute, Maricopa Association of Governments, The Nature Conservancy, Valley Forward Association, WESTMARC and others.

About the Day
The day will include the morning visioning exercise followed by a luncheon and afternoon program. The morning exercise involves 10-person teams who will create guiding principles for future development based on their shared values. Using their guiding principles, each group will then gather around a large-scale map and begin allocating colored Legos® representing jobs and residential growth. All of the Lego ® blocks signifying expected future growth in the Central Arizona Region must be placed on the map. The placement of the Legos® will result in different growth scenarios created by each team.

The luncheon and afternoon program are open to the public and will feature recognized keynote speakers on growth issues. The afternoon session will also include the results and an analysis of the different growth scenarios.

Why this Matters
The goal of AZ One is to facilitate consensus among diverse constituents on how to maintain the quality of life in Central Arizona and implement strategies to build a sustainable future for this rapidly expanding region. AZ One, a Reality Check differs from other visioning exercises in that it is a proven process that leads to the implementation of desired growth practices. It was created by ULI and has been used throughout the country as far back as 1997. A few nationwide examples include:

Utah , 1997: Fundamental in the recognition, approval, and adoption of light rail; www.envisionutah.org

Chicago , 2000: Attracted investment opportunities and created new jobs by focusing on workforce housing and land use planning for freight transportation centers;
www.chicagometropolis2020.org

Southern CA , 2004: Determined that more intensive land use redevelopment on 2% of the land area will yield significant transportation and environmental benefits;
www.uli-la.org/realitycheck/

Maryland , 2006: Emphasized the imp ortance of preserving legacy lands and created priority funding areas served by multi-modal transportation;
www.realitycheckmaryland.org

Tampa Bay , 2007: G enerated consensus around the need for workforce housing, transportation choices, preservation of green space and access to natural assets.
www.realitychecktampabay.org

When?
Friday, May 16, 2008 at the Phoenix Convention Center

8:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.:
Morning Session ( Invited Participants Only - Nomination closed March 16, 2008 ).

11:45 a.m – 3:15 p.m.:
Luncheon and Afternoon Session ( Registration Open to the Public )

More Info?
For information on sponsorship opportunities, to nominate yourself or others for the morning exercise, or to attend the luncheon and afternoon session, visit www.azOneFuture.com
or contact:

AZ One, a Reality Check for Central Arizona
Laura Etter, Project Manager
info@azonefuture.com
c/o Goodman Schwartz Public Affairs
300 West Clarendon, Suite 245
Phoenix , Arizona 85013
Phone: (602) 277-0911
Facsimile: (602) 277-3506
www.azOneFuture.com