ASU faculty and students help Apache Junction develop local histories and plans for a sustainable future
Metrics
Community
Apache Junction, Arizona, USACommunity Size
41,739 (2018 Census Estimation)University
Arizona State UniversityProgram
Project CitiesYears
2017-2019Status
CompletedCase Type
Partnership StoriesSchool Size
Greater than 40,000Focus Areas
Economic and Social Inclusion, Environment SustainabilityDiscipline
Art, Design, GIS, History, Landscape Architecture, Planning, Public Affairs, Public Relations, Sustainability, Theater, Urban and Regional Planning, WasteRegion
EPA Region 9, USACommunity Partner Department
Budget, Community Relations, Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, Public WorksPolicy
History, Land Use, Mobile Home Owners, Parks, Place Making, Public Policy, Solid Waste, Sustainability, TheaterUniversity Department Code
Architecture, Communication, Graphic Design, History, Public Affairs, Theater, Urban and Regional PlanningSustainable Development Goals
11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 16 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions, 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, 8 Decent Work and Economic GrowthCommunity Population Sizes
41739 (2018 Census Estimation)Population Type
Business Owners and Consumers, Government Employees, Home Insecure, Home Owners, Pet Owners, ResidentsA relatively young city rich in natural resources, assets, and Western histories, the City of Apache Junction has a lot to offer to their residents and tourists. However, local concerns surrounding seasonal tourism, homelessness, and solid waste management led the city to consider ways they could improve the overall experience for their entire population.
Apache Junction partnered with Arizona State University’s (ASU) Project Cities to dive into these issues and more. As member of the EPIC-Network, Project Cities “connects higher education with local communities” (ASU Project Cities) to co-create sustainable solutions which progress cities toward a better future. Apache Junction invited 12 ASU faculty, and 213 graduate-, and undergraduate-level students, to bring the university’s expertise and resources to assist the city in its goal to reach a more sustainable future, all while celebrating its local history.
Watch the video about the partnership between Project Cities and Apache Junction!
Students and faculty from varying ASU Project Cities courses, including public affairs, history, landscape architecture design, digital user experience, community-based theater, socio-economic planning, and sustainability management and organizing, were integrated into Apache Junction research and development efforts to construct plans for the city.
Over the course of their Fall 2017-Spring 2019 partnership, Apache Junction accessed the potential and academic expertise which allowed them to advance toward actualizing their goal of providing a better life experience for their residents and tourists.
University Capital
13
Classes
213
Students
28,485
Hours
12
Disciplines
16
Projects
12
Faculty Members
"What we needed help with is trying to refine what's best for our community."
The twelve projects completed during the partnership with ASU Project Cities ranged from sustainable water and waste management systems to the redevelopment of the city website. A few of the most notable results, as witnessed by city residents and officials, include the following:
Testable ideas to increase municipal revenue were developed by public affairs graduate-level students, which included plans such as restructuring recreation fees and introducing a primary property tax to pay off bonded debts.
Three designs and budgetary allocation plans to develop Apache Junction resident’s long-desired off-leash dog parks were implemented thanks to a combination of communal surveying and field observations.
Four website revisions to help the City determine site updates for the city’s tourism website.
Students researched and refined historical narratives significant to Apache Junction in support of the City’s Positively Apache Junction marketing campaign, which sought to improve its cultural image both for residents and tourists alike. Students created community-theater plays, artistic exhibits, and commemorative plaques which highlighted remarkable locations, events, and tales from the City’s history.
Pathways toward a more sustainable future, including the implementation of a single hauler solid waste pickup program for residents and introducing resource strategies to diversify water sources, were developed by students which sought to include community members in the municipal decision-making process concerning environmental issues.
Students identified how the city could allocate resources and tailor services to combat homelessness. Furthermore, research was conducted to determine what resources the homeless population most needed, along with accumulating educational information to improve public awareness.
Community Results
With the findings and recommendations provided by the participating ASU Project Cities courses, faculty, and students, Apache Junction has obtained information that could help them improve the lives of every citizen and tourist of the city. By engaging local municipality officials, invested stakeholders, and long-time residents with the participating university students, Apache Junction may be able to provide its population—both year-round and seasonal—with a healthier, more sustainable, and culturally rich future.
Arizona State University Project Cities Contact
Steve Russell
Program Manager
(480) 727-2698
steven.russell@asu.edu
City of Apache Junction Contact
Larry Kirch
Director
Development Services
lkirch@ajcity.net
480-474-5082
