This report, prepared by Morrison Institute for Public Policy, was released by Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce in March 2011. It is a follow-up to the 2003 report, Which Way Scottsdale? Measured are perceptions and responses to five key questions related to the overview topics of Legacy at Risk, Redefining Greatness, The Scottsdale Story, Region on the Rise and Tougher Agenda.

The Gateway Health Assessment and Strategy Report is submitted by a multidisciplinary health team, convened by St. Luke's Health Initiatives (SLHI), as part of Reinvent PHX. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Reinvent PHX is a partnership between the city of Phoenix, Arizona State University, and SLHI to develop a holistic, long-range sustainability plan for the neighborhoods along the light rail.

The scope of SLHI and the health team's work is to gather information from 'underserved, particularly non-English speaking, residents in each district.' From information gathered from residents, along with other primary and secondary data, the health team produced this health impact assessment of Solano's existing built-environment conditions with a focus on healthy food and recreation access, walking and bicycling safety, and exposure to excessive heat. After assessing the current conditions, the health team recommends the attached intervention strategies focused on improving public health.

The scope of SLHI and the health team's work is to gather information from underserved, particularly non-English speaking, residents in each district. From information gathered from residents, along with other primary and secondary data, the health team produced this health impact assessment of Uptown's existing built-environment conditions with a focus on healthy food and recreation access, walking and bicycling safety, and exposure to excessive heat. After assessing the current conditions, the health team recommends the attached intervention strategies focused on improving public health.

St. Luke's Health Initiatives and the Flinn Foundation strive to make Arizona a better place to live for all of its residents. Despite our state's assets, Arizona has many issues to address, with health and poverty among the most important. Our organizations have been pleased to sponsor the state capacity research that provided the background and impetus for "More Promises to Keep: Sustaining Arizona's Capacity for Welfare and Health Reform." St. Luke's Health Initiatives and the Flinn Foundation view the information and analysis provided in this report as a good way to stimulate discussion of health and welfare policy options and community actions. Research and dialogue are essential steps in the process of constructive change, as is communication with the public. We urge readers to consider the ideas presented in this paper and to continue to work together to improve the health and welfare of all Arizonans.

Though the Great Recession may be officially over, all is not well in Arizona. Three years after the collapse of a massive real estate “bubble,” the deepest economic downturn in memory exposed and exacerbated one of the nation’s most profound state fiscal crises, with disturbing implications for Arizona citizens and the state’s long-term economic health.

This brief takes a careful look at the Grand Canyon State’s fiscal situation, examining both Arizona’s serious cyclical budget shortfall—the one resulting from a temporary collapse of revenue due to the recession—as well as the chronic, longer-term, and massive structural imbalances that have developed largely due to policy choices made in better times. This primer employs a unique methodology to estimate the size of the state’s structural deficit and then explores the mix of forces, including the large permanent tax reductions, that created them. It also highlights some of the dramatic impacts these fiscal challenges are having on service-delivery as well as on local governments. The brief suggests some of the steps state policymakers must take to close their budget gaps over the short and longer term. First, it urges better policymaking, and prods leaders to broaden, balance, and diversify the state’s revenue base while looking to assure a long-haul balance of taxing and spending. And second, it recommends that Arizona improve the information-sharing and budgeting processes through which fiscal problems are understood—so they may ultimately be averted.