
Cactus League Impact, Students On Political Opinions Study, Buildings For AZ Climate
Season 2026 Episode 191 | 26m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
New impact report on Cactus League, Student Survey on Politics, New buildings designed for climate
A 2026 Cactus League economic impact report was released and says that the league season generated $495.8 million for Arizona’s Gross Domestic Product, A recent survey was conducted that showed 58% of High school graduates said they had held back in class from sharing a political or civic opinion, The buildings going up in Phoenix today are being built to last 50 to 100 years.
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Arizona Horizon is a local public television program presented by Arizona PBS

Cactus League Impact, Students On Political Opinions Study, Buildings For AZ Climate
Season 2026 Episode 191 | 26m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
A 2026 Cactus League economic impact report was released and says that the league season generated $495.8 million for Arizona’s Gross Domestic Product, A recent survey was conducted that showed 58% of High school graduates said they had held back in class from sharing a political or civic opinion, The buildings going up in Phoenix today are being built to last 50 to 100 years.
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TED: COMING UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE 2026 CACTUS LEAGUE AND WHAT'S AT STAKE IF SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL DOESN'T HAPPEN IN 2027.
>>> A NEW STUDY LOOKS AT WHY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE HESITANT TO SHARE POLITICAL OPINIONS IN CLASS?
>>> AND HOW ARCHITECTURE IN THE PHOENIX AREA NEEDS TO EVOLVE TO WITHSTAND EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS.
THOSE STORIES AND MORE NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."
.
TED: GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."
I'M TED SIMONS.
SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL IN ARIZONA GENERATED NEARLY $500 MILLION LAST SPRING ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY LOOKING AT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE 2026 CACTUS LEAGUE, THE NUMBERS SUGGEST WHAT COULD COST THE STATE IF A LOCKOUT KEEPS SPRING BASEBALL FROM HAPPENING IN 2027.
JOINING US IS BRIDGET BINSBACHER FROM THE CACTUS LEAGUE, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU, TED.
TED: IS THIS A NEW RECORD, THEY KEEP GOING UP?
>> THEY KEEP GOING UP.
EVERY TIME WE DO THE STUDY, TYPICALLY EVERY OTHER YEAR, WE HAVE GREAT NUMBERS.
TOTAL IMPACT WAS 806.9 MILLION, 6500 JOBS, NEARLY 300 MILLION IN WAGES.
INCREDIBLE.
TED: THE 807 MILLION IN TOTAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN REAL TERMS?
>> THAT WOULD BE THE GROSS NUMBER.
GDP IS THE BOTTOM LINE NUMBER.
WHEN YOU MEASURE GDP, THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED NET NUMBER, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT LAYERS OF TRANSACTIONS FROM ORIGIN OF WHATEVER IT IS.
TED: YES.
>> WITHIN SPRING TRAINING AND MULTIPLE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS SO YOU GET THE TOTAL IMPACT.
TED: ATTENDANCE, 1.7 MILLION SEATS, IS THAT A NEW RECORD?
>> NOT A NEW RECORD, IT'S GONE UP FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
SO SINCE WE HAD THE CHALLENGES WITH THE PANDEMIC.
TED: YES.
>> WE HAD WORK STOPPAGE IN 2022.
SINCE THEN, WE HAVE GONE UP STEDLY THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
>> THE IMPACT OF ALL OF THIS, GDP ECONOMIC IMPACT, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, THE IMPACT OVERALL TOURISM, WHAT IS IT?
>> UNBELIEVABLE.
I THINK WE'VE SEEN THAT SIX OUT OF TEN FANS ARE COMING HERE.
THAT'S A HUGE NUMBER.
OVER A MILLION FANS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.
WE KNOW THAT SPRING TRAINING IS BRINGING THEM HERE AND AS A RESULT OF FOLLOWING THEIR TEAM OR PLAYER, THEY'RE VISITING OTHER AREAS OF ARIZONA, SO IT DOESN'T JUST TOUCH THE CACTUS LEAGUE FOOTPRINT IN MARICOPA COUNTY.
IT IS VAST, ACROSS THE STATE.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK THE AVERAGE CACTUS LEAGUE ATTENDEE IS, SIX OF TEN FROM OUT OF STATE.
WHICH STATES?
>> MAJOR LEAGUE MARKET, A LOT FROM THE MIDWEST.
IT'S WIDESPREAD.
WE COVER ALL THE TIME ZONES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
TED: SO WHEN THE BREWERS PLAY, YOU GET A LOT OF MILWAUKEE, A LOT OF WISCONSIN.
KANSAS CITY, A LOT OF KANSAS, MISSOURI.
>> YEAH, UH-HUH.
TED: SO THEY'RE OUT HERE.
HOW MANY GAMES DO THEY WATCH?
>> ON AVERAGE THEY CATCH THREE GAMES.
YOU KNOW HOW THIS IS STRUCTURED.
THE FACILITIES ARE WITHIN AN HOUR OF ONE ANOTHER.
IT'S MANAGEABLE.
THEY CAN SEE A DAY GAME.
MAYBE TWO GAMES IN A DAY, IF THEY PLAY THEIR BASEBALL CARDS.
SO THEY SEE THREE GAMES, STAY AN AVERAGE OF FOUR NIGHTS, SPEND NEARLY $400 A DAY PER FAN.
IT'S SIGNIFICANT.
TED: WHEN THEY SPEND NEARLY $400 A DAY PER FAN, WHAT DO THEY SPEND THAT ON?
>> I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF THE DIRECT SPEND IS HITTING LODGING, HOTELS, AND SECOND TO THAT WOULD BE RESTAURANTS, BARS, ACTIVITIES, AND THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF IT'S GOING, SO IT IS A HUGE INFLUX OF FANS COMING AND A LOT OF ACTIVITY FOR THOSE SURROUNDING BUSINESSES.
TED: AND YOU TOUCHED ON THIS, THEY DON'T JUST COME FOR BASEBALL.
PRIMARILY FOR BASEBALL, BUT ALSO GO, THEY'RE SPREAD OUT ALL OVER THE STATE.
WHERE DO THEY GO?
>> ALL OVER.
PRIMARILY TO NORTHERN ARIZONA.
YES.
NORTHEAST ARIZONA.
THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE.
AND REALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, THIS STORY HOLDS STRONG THAT SIX OUT OF TEN FANS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS AND YEARS, SINCE WE'VE BEEN MEASURING THIS.
THAT TELLS THE STORY THAT THIS DOESN'T JUST IMPACT MARICOPA COUNTY.
IT'S ALL OF ARIZONA.
TED: DOES THE FACT THAT SOME CACTUS LEAGUE TEAMS DO WELL IN THE PREVIOUS REGULAR SEASON MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON HOW MANY OF THE FANS COME OUT FOR SPRING TRAINING?
>> MY GOSH, WE'RE ALWAYS HOLDING OUR BREATH.
SO YES, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE REGULAR SEASON, THAT ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT, DEFINITELY CARRIES OVER INTO SPRING TRAINING, AND SO WE -- WE'RE ALWAYS ROOTING FOR A CACTUS LEAGUE TEAM.
TED: LET'S GET TO -- THAT'S THE GOOD STUFF, NOW THE NOT-SO-GOOD STUFF.
THE IDEA OF THERE BEING A MAJOR LEAGUE LOCKOUT.
NEGOTIATIONS ARE NOT GOING THAT WELL, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE TEAMS AND THE PLAYERS COULD BE LOCKED OUT FOR SPRING TRAINING.
HOW ARE YOU GUYS PREPARING FOR THIS?
>> WELL, WE HAVE TO BE READY.
WE KNOW WE HAVE TO BE READY, AND OBVIOUSLY, THIS STORY TELLS THE IMPACT AND THE OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, SO WE CAN TELL THE STORY WHAT THE IMPACT IS.
WE NEED TO PROTECT IT BECAUSE WE CAN'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.
THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T NEW TO US.
IF THERE IS A WORK STOPPAGE OR A LOCKOUT.
THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, AN UNCERTAINTY, UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES, WE HAD RECORD BREAKING HEAT WAVES LAST SEASON, AND WE STILL -- ATTENDANCE WENT UP CONSIDERABLY.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE LABOR NEGOTIATIONS BEFORE, AND I SHOULD ALSO SAY, THIS IS BETWEEN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND THE PLAYERS' ASSOCIATION.
WE'RE NOT PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, SO WE CAN'T SPECULATE WHAT WILL OR WON'T HAPPEN, WE KNOW, AND I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING I SAID IN 2022 WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS, WE NEED TO BE READY FOR WHATEVER OPPORTUNITY COMES OUR WAY SO WE CAN MAKE THE MOST OF IT AND REALIZE THE GREATEST IMPACT WE CAN PROBABLY GET.
TED: HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE PREVIOUS WORK STOPPAGES?
HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT WE NEED TO PREPARE?
THE CITIES, THE HOST CITIES, THEY NEED TO PREPARE AS WELL?
>> YES, ALL OF THEM DO.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALLY OWNED AND OPERATED.
EIGHT MUNICIPALITIES, THE TRIBAL COMMUNITY.
5500 JOBS ARE GENERATED AS A RESULT OF SPRING TRAINING, AND THE FACILITIES HAVE PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THEY CAN BE READY, THEY CAN BE READY IN A BLINK, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE PREPARING FOR.
TED: THE SAME QUESTION AGAIN, WERE THINGS LEARNED?
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT EXPECT, A, BUT YOU WOUND UP WITH B, THE LAST LABOR SITUATION?
>> WE HAD DEFINITELY IMPACTED OPENING DAY.
TED: YEAH.
>> THEY ADJUSTED OPENING DAY, AND AGAIN, WE WERE READY, WE WERE TAKING IT MINUTE-BY-MINUTE, AND WE MADE THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITY THEN, AND WE WILL DO THE SAME THING IN 2027.
TED: INDEED, YOU NEVER KNOW, IT COULD BE LATE START, IT COULD BE HALF OF A SEASON, IT COULD BE AN EARLY START, COULD BE A NO START, YOU NEVER KNOW.
>> YOU DON'T.
WE'RE HOPEFUL.
LIKE FANS EVERYWHERE, THAT THE TWO PARTIES COME TO SOME UNDERSTANDING, SOME AGREEMENT WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A SEASON.
TED: BRIDGET BINSBACHER, CACTUS LEAGUE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
GOOD NUMBERS FOR 2026.
BEST OF LUCK FOR 2027.
>> THANKS, TED.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
TED: YOU BET.
.
TED: A NEW STUDY OF RECENT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES SHOWS THAT MANY OF THOSE SURVEYED DIDN'T SHARE POLITICAL OPINIONS IN CLASS IN GREAT PART BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE REACTION FROM FELLOW CLASSMATES.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STUDY, WE WELCOME LIAM JULIAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PUBLIC POLICY AT THE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR INSTITUTE.
LIAM, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THIS IS A SURVEY ON SELF-CENSORSHIP.
HOW IS IT DEFINED IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS STUDY?
>> ESSENTIALLY, THE WAY IT'S DEFINED IS WE ASK STUDENTS WHETHER THEY HELD BACK IN CLASS FROM EXPRESSING AN OPINION THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR CIVICS CLASS.
THAT'S HOW WE DEFINED IT.
TED: YOU FOUND THAT MOST 58%, DID HOLD BACK, HUH?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE NOT ENTIRELY SHOCKED TO SEE THERE WAS SELF-CENSORSHIP HAPPENING.
WE WERE SHOCKED THAT THAT PERCENTAGE, 58%, OVER HALF, WERE SELF-CENSORING.
WHAT WAS MOST SHOCKING TO US WAS THE FINDING THAT YOU MENTIONED AT THE START WHICH WAS THAT 91% OF THE STUDENTS WHO SELF-CENSORED REPORTED THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE REACTIONS OF CLASSMATES VERSUS JUST 41% WHO WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE REACTIONS OF THE TEACHER.
THAT WAS A SURPRISING FINDING.
TED: DID THEY SAY WHY THEY WERE CONCERNED?
WERE THEY CONCERNED THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN OUTLIER OR WERE THEY CONCERNED THEY WOULD START A FIGHT?
WHAT?
>> YEAH, WE HEARD A LOT OF DIFFERENT RESPONSES, NOT SO MUCH CONCERNS ABOUT VIOLENCE, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE DID ASK THAT.
IT WAS MUCH MORE THE SOCIAL ASPECT THAT YOU MENTIONED WHERE THEY FELT THEY WOULD BE OSTRACIZED.
A LOT OF THEM WERE WORRIED ABOUT HAVING VIEWS MISREPRESENTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT RAN THE GAMUT, BUT IT WAS MOSTLY SOCIAL CONCERNS.
>> IS THERE A SENSE THAT THE NUMBERS ARE INCREASING?
>> IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, AND SO THAT'S ONE WE WANT TO TRACK.
THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY WHERE WE HAD ACTUALLY SPOKEN TO STUDENTS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL CIVICS EXPERIENCE, BUT GOING FORWARD, I THINK TO YOUR QUESTION, I THINK WE WANT TO TRACK THIS TO SEE IF THE NUMBERS ARE MOVING AT ALL, BUT YOU KNOW, 91%, IT REALLY CAN'T GET MORE PRONOUNCED THAN THAT, SO THE QUESTION BECOMES, WHAT DO YOU DO?
HOW DO YOU CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT IN THESE CLASSROOMS?
A CIVICS CLASSROOM IS MADE OF TWO PARTS, THE COMMUNICATION OF KNOWLEDGE, AND THE PRACTICE OF CIVICS SKILLS.
IF STUDENTS ARE NOT FEELING COMFORTABLE TO SPEAK TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN CLASS, THE PRACTICE OF CIVIC SKILLS DOESN'T HAPPEN.
THAT'S CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY, THE IMPACT OF TEACHERS ON THIS TO FACILITATE THE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE A CLASSROOM, YOU SHOULD FEEL SAFE TO SAY WHATEVER COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DISCUSSION.
THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO BRING THESE KIDS OUT.
>> YEAH.
I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, AND YOU'RE CORRECT, IT SHOULD FEEL SAFE, AND I THINK FOR YOUR VIEWERS, WE WANT TO DIFFERENTIATE SAFE FROM COMFORTABLE.
IT DOESN'T ALWAYS FEEL COMFORTABLE IN A CIVICS CLASS TO VOLUNTEER WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT SOMETHING, THAT IS PRECISELY THE SKILL THAT NEEDS TO BE PRACTICED.
TO YOUR POINT, TEACHERS CAN GO A LONG WAY TO ESTABLISHING A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT THAT SORT OF PROMOTES THIS CONSTRUCTIVE DISAGREEMENT.
ONE WAY THEY CAN DO THAT IS BY EXPLICITLY SAYING AT START OF CLASS THAT CONSTRUCTIVE DISAGREEMENT IS GOING TO BE A SKILL THAT WE PRACTICE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING HERE, AND THEN ENLISTING THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES IN TALKING ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
HOW DO WE HAVE A DISCUSSION WHERE WE DISAGREE PRODUCTIVELY?
HOW DO WE PRACTICE THAT.
FROM THE TEACHERS WE TALK TO, YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED, TEACHERS ARE WILLING TO DIVE IN AND GIVE TWO CENTS ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE, AND WHEN STUDENTS ESTABLISH THE NORM, THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE VOLUNTEERING THEIR OPINION WHEN THEY KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE, AND WHEN THE RULES THEY IN FACT HELPED TO CREATE.
TED: INDEED.
INDEED.
I FIND IT CURIOUS IN THIS AGE OF TALK RADIO AND CABLE TV WHERE EVERYONE IS YELLING AT EACH OTHER, AND EVERYONE IS AT ODDS, THAT IN A CLASSROOM THAT THE KIDS HAVEN'T PICKED UP ON THIS A LITTLE BIT AT LEAST, AND ARE ABLE TO FORM HARD OPINIONS AND DEBATE BACK AND FORTH.
MY GOODNESS, YOU CAN'T AVOID A DEBATE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR THESE DAYS DOES, THAT SURPRISE YOU A LITTLE BIT?
>> IT DID.
HOWEVER, IT'S INTERESTING, WHEN WE LOOK AT OTHER RESEARCH ON YOUNGER PEOPLE, THEY ARE MUCH MORE CONFLICT AVERSE.
AND WE CAN SEE THIS ACTUALLY, WE SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES WHERE THAT SORT OF DISCOURSE IS NOT NECESSARILY WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE, AND THIS TRICKLES DOWN, RIGHT, AND STUDENTS SEE THIS.
SO I THINK YES ON THE ONE HAND WE'RE AWASH IN THIS DISAGREEMENT, BUT ON THE OTHER, I THINK THAT YOUNGER PEOPLE HAVE SORT OF INTERNALIZED A LOT MORE CAUTION AROUND IT.
TED: SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WHAT ARE YOU TELLING TEACHERS, WHAT ARE YOU TELLING SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHAT ARE YOU TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT PRODUCTIVE DISAGREEMENT, HOW BEST TO FACILITATE THAT?
>> A GREAT QUESTION, AND WE SHOULD SAY TEACHERS THEMSELVES ARE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
LAST YEAR WE DID A STUDY LOOKING AT TEACHERS AND MANY DIDN'T KNOW THEMSELVES HOW TO HANDLE THIS KIND OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN CLASS.
DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS, SCHOOL LEADERS CAN REALLY GO A LONG WAY HERE TO BASICALLY SAYING, LOOK, IF WE WANT TO HAVE A ROBUST CIVICS CLASS, THAT'S GOING TO INCLUDE THE PRACTICE OF DISAGREEMENT.
DISAGREEMENT HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THE UNITED STATES FROM OUR BEGINNING.
IT'S WHY THIS COUNTRY WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH A ROOMFUL OF PEOPLE WHO DISAGREED LIKE STRONGLY, BUT CAME OUT AT THE END WITH COMPROMISES, AND SO PRACTICING THAT SKILL IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL TO BEING A PRODUCTIVE CITIZEN IN OUR SOCIETY.
SO THE MORE WE CAN ESTABLISH THAT AS THE NORM, I THINK, THE BETTER.
TED: IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TAKEN FROM THE RESEARCH, WHERE YOU WANT PEOPLE TO GO WITH THE INFORMATION?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT REALLY IS.
I THINK IT'S -- WE HAVE TO SET UP ENVIRONMENTS IN THE CIVICS CLASSES WHERE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE TEACHERS, THE STUDENTS, THE SCHOOL LEADERS, EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME PAGE.
LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO DISAGREE.
WE HAVE ALWAYS DISAGREED IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT'S PART OF WHO WE ARE.
POINT IS TO PRACTICE DISAGREEING IN A WAY THAT IS PRODUCTIVE AND DOESN'T LEAVE PEOPLE FEELING AT THE END OF IT LIKE THEY'RE SOCIALLY OUTCAST.
THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN DISAGREE STRONGLY AND AT THE ENTD CAN YOU HANG OUT WITH THE PERSON YOU DISAGREED WITH, AND ALL IS GOOD, YOU KNOW?
IT'S THAT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A REALLY PRODUCTIVE CIVIC ENVIRONMENT LOOKS LIKE, AND I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY FOUNDATIONAL.
TED: LIAM JULIAN, SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR INSTITUTE.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
GOOD INFORMATION.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> YEP, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
.
TED: NEW BUILDINGS GOING UP AROUND THE PHOENIX AREA NEED TO BE DESIGNED TO BETTER WITHSTAND THE REGION'S INCREASING HEAT AND EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS.
WE WELCOME MIKE DAVIS, THE FOUNDER OF DAVIS, AN ARCHITECTURE, INTERIORS, AND URBAN DESIGN FIRM.
WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON," GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> GOOD TO BE HERE.
TED: CONSTRUCTING NEW BUILDINGS, OBVIOUSLY, TO WITHSTAND THE HEAT.
HOW DOES THAT DIFFER FROM THE WAY THINGS WERE THOUGHT OF AND, YOU KNOW, DONE IN THE PAST?
>> A LOT OF OUR ENERGY STUDIES ALWAYS OVERRATE.
WE DESIGN THINGS FOR 120+ DEGREES TODAY.
THE BIG QUESTION IS: DOES THE TEMP KEEP GOING, AND DOES THE DURATION OF THE TIME SPAN WE'RE GETTING INTO KEEP GOING?
SO THERE'S A LITTLE SAFETY FACTOR IN THAT TODAY, THOSE ARE CONTINUING.
THAT ALSO HAPPENS IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND OTHER THINGS THAT GO INTO BUILDING STRUCTURES TODAY.
TED: SO HISTORICALLY, ARCHITECTS HAVE ADDRESSED HEAT IN WHAT WAYS?
>> THE BEST DESIGN WAYS TO DO THAT, WE CALL IT PASSIVE DESIGN, IN OTHER WORDS, SHADING WINDOWS, CREATING OVERHANG, LANDSCAPING AND SO FORTH.
OBVIOUSLY, IN THIS CLIMATE, SHADE IS GOOD ALMOST ALL THE TIME.
TED: YES.
>> THAT WOULD BE YOUR PRIMARY, YOUR PRIMARY BUILD.
I WOULD SAY THIS, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME THAT PHOENIX COULD LIVE ON PATH OF ARCHITECTURE ALONE, 4 1/2 MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
WE ARE WED WITH TECHNOLOGY AND GENERATION OF POWER AND AIR CONDITIONING, OBVIOUSLY.
TED: YES, YES, THAT MEANS THAT ARCHITECTURE DESIGN HAS TO EVOLVE.
HOW DOES IT NEED TO EVOLVE?
>> I WANT TO STEP TO A PLACE REALLY TO DO WITH PLANNING.
THERE'S A SAYING, I DIDN'T COIN, IT BUT THE DENSITY IS SELF-SHADING, AND PHOENIX HAS LONG TIME SPRAWLED WAY OUT INTO THE DESERT.
ON A POLITICAL SPECTRUM, THERE'S A RESISTANCE TO BUILDING HEIGHT OF ANY FORM IN THE CITY, AND GOING TO BE UNIVERSAL.
WE NEED A CITY THAT'S MORE DENSE, AND I'M TALKING FOUR-SIX-STORY BUILDINGS.
HAVE YOU AREAS TO MEET AND CONGREGATE OUTSIDE AND SHADE GENERATED BY THE BUILDING ITSELF.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY, I WAS READING UP ON THIS, THE IDEA OF ONE BUILDING PROVIDING SHADE TO ANOTHER BUILDING.
I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S A FACT.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE VIEW, BUT THAT'S A FACTOR.
>> WELL SAID.
THAT'S TRUE.
A LOT OF TIMES IT'S VIEWER ORIENTED, BUT ALSO THERE'S THE ABILITY WITH DOING TIGHTER STREETS.
LITTLE PARKS.
GREEN SPACE.
HAVING BUILDINGS THAT AREN'T JUST UNIQUE OBJECTS BY THEMSELVES, THAT'S THE KEY TO GOOD MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT AND THE KEY TO PHOENIX'S SUCCESS.
IT'S A LOT CHEAPER TO BUILD THOSE BUILDINGS RIGHT, SHADE THEM IN TERMS OF POWER CONSUMPTION THAN IT IS FOR A SPRAWL.
TED: WHEN YOU SAY POWER CONSUMPTION, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO CLOSE, THEY CAN SHARE SOMETHING.
>> SO MUCH.
TED: ORIENTATION OF A BUILDING, THAT ALWAYS, IN PHOENIX, SOMETIMES I THINK THEY'RE THINKING DIRECTLY WEST, AND I'M THINKING GOOD LUCK, FELL.
>> FOR SURE.
LOTS OF APARTMENTS WITH THAT WINDOW RIGHT OUT THERE.
BUT YEAH, OBVIOUSLY THE NORTH SOUTH ORIENTATION LONGITUDE IS BETTER ON THE BUILDINGS AS WELL AS DESIGNING IT, WHERE THERE IS LESS GLAZING AND THINGS ON WEST SIDES, VERTICAL SHADING, HORIZONTAL SHADING.
TED: INTERESTING, INTERESTING.
>> THEY GO A LONG WAY TO HELP.
TED: CIRCULATION, AIR CIRCULATION CAN, ARCHITECTURE PROMOTE THAT?
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S OUTSIDE HERE.
CAN THE DESIGN OF A BUILDING PROMOTE MORE BREEZE?
>> IT CAN, AND ACTUALLY COUPLING OR PUTTING BUILDINGS CLOSER TOGETHER HELPS FUNNEL, IT'S WHERE YOU GET IN THE BIG CITIES AND YOU FEEL LIKE IN A CHICAGO.
TED: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
>> IT'S A GOOD THING HERE.
TED: IF IT'S A GOOD THING HERE, DOES THAT MEAN WE COULD SEE -- BECAUSE OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION -- MICROCLIMATES?
>> I'D LIKE TO THINK.
WE'VE LONG KNOWN WATER AND A GOOD BREEZE IS GOOD OUT HERE.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT WASTING WATER, USING IT EFFECTIVELY TO DO THAT.
TED: ARE WE TALKING ABOUT MAKING BUILDINGS EASIER TO SURVIVE THE PHOENIX SUMMER ESPECIALLY, NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.
SOME OF THE BUILDINGS ARE GOING TO BE AROUND FOR A LONG TIME?
>> YES.
YES.
WE TALK IN TERMS, YOU TELL ME THE LARGER BUILDINGS, THEY LAST HUNDREDS OF YEARS, THEY REALLY WILL.
TED: REALLY?
>> YEAH, TALKING ABOUT TEMPE TOWN LAKE AND THE BIG STRUCTURES, I AM ENCOURAGED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT GLAZING IS FIVE TIMES MORE EFFICIENT TODAY THAN 40 YEARS AGO, THAT MEANS A LOT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT A GLASS -- LOT OF GLASS, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A PROBLEM, SERIOUSLY HIGH QUALITY.
TECH MAKES IT BETTER.
TED: INTERESTING.
ARE YOU CONFIDENT SOME OF THE BUILDINGS TODAY WOULD BE CONSIDERED HISTORIC SOMEDAY?
>> I'D LIKE TONG.
CITY IS SO NEW, NOT MUCH OF AN OLD FABRIC, I THINK WE'RE BUILDING THAT, AND AGAIN, LITTLE CLOSER TOGETHER WOULD BE GOOD.
TED: LAST QUESTION, YOU'RE DRIVING AROUND TOWN, WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND?
>> I'M PROUD OF IT.
MOST OF IT.
IT'S EVOLVING.
IT'S BECOMING -- IT'S BECOMING MORE OF A PLACE THAN A RECREATIONAL DESTINATION OR A GOLF VACATION.
I THINK WE'RE GETTING BETTER.
WE'RE GETTING BETTER.
I'M WORKING ON A 600-FOOT-TALL BUILDING ACROSS THE PARK FROM YOU, WHICH WILL PROVIDE GREAT SHADING FOR THE STUDIO AND THE CRONKITE SCHOOL, THE ARROW PROJECT.
TED: IS THAT THE YMCA THING?
>>ITE OVER BY THE YMCA.
GOOD SHADING IN JULY.
TED: THINK OF TREES AND CANOPIES AND PROVIDING SHADE.
>> THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART.
I THINK THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS UNDERSTAND THAT.
IT'S GOOD.
TED: ALL RIGHT.
ARCHITECT MIKE DAVIS -- INTERESTING DISCUSSION MIKE DAVIS FROM DAVIS, NICELY NAMED FIRM THERE.
>> THANK YOU.
TED: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> MY PLEASURE, TED, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
TED: YOU BET.
THAT IS IT FOR YOU IN.
I'M TED SIMONS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
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