Master Planning a More Resilient Tempe

The City of Tempe, Arizona has been proactively planning for a more resilient future through the development of a Climate Action Plan with strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage extreme heat and stormwater throughout the City. Tempe has now taken the next step in retaining Greeley and Hansen, A TYLin Company in association with WERK Urban Design and Raftelis to develop the Resilient Tempe Master Plan and Feasibility Study. 

The Resilient Tempe Master Plan is intended to develop a long-term master plan that will propel the Climate Action Plan goal to manage stormwater and extreme heat events experienced in the arid climate in Tempe more efficiently and equitably. In developing a roadmap for the Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Low Impact Development, Nature-Based Solutions and Urban Forestry as well as community beautification and shade coverage initiatives, the project team will be building consensus amongst key stakeholders in the City to prioritize investments in urban cooling that result in fiscal responsibility, equitable improvements to historically disadvantaged neighborhoods, and community engagement. 

In the planning phase of the master plan, the project team will assess the existing stormwater infrastructure and urban forestry planning efforts, develop and evaluate initiatives to combine the conventional stormwater capital improvements with green stormwater infrastructure and urban canopy coverage expansion opportunities, and develop a long-range citywide equitable urban cooling roadmap. Another component of this planning effort will include assessing the feasibility of creating a combined utility to provide oversight and help fund green stormwater infrastructure, low impact development, nature-based solutions, and urban forestry initiatives to realize the co-benefits from infrastructure investments. This is a leading edge master plan to create a more sustainable, resilient and equitable future in managing extreme heat and stormwater to address climate adaptation through a wide array of infrastructure solutions for the City of Tempe.   

Project Highlights: 

• Climate adaptation strategies to manage extreme heat and stormwater 

• Long-range citywide urban cooling roadmap 

• Master plan encompassing green stormwater infrastructure, low impact development, nature-based Solutions and urban forestry as well as community beautification and shade coverage initiatives that prioritizes investments equitably