50 OCTOBER 2021 By Jennifer Marshall June 2021 holds the unpleasant record as the hottest June in the history of Phoenix. According to the National Weather Service, the average temperature through the month was 95.3 degrees Fahrenheit, beating out the record of 94.8 F, set in 2013 and 2016. Opinions differ on why our temperatures are hotter than ever. One thing we do agree on: it’s hot out there for a good chunk of the year. Solutions to mitigate the heat and its dangerous effects are in the works. One positive solution in progress is the creation of healthier urban forests. “An urban forest is a collection of woody vegetation in an urban environment,” said Nicole Rodriguez, a certified arborist and community advocate who serves on the Urban Heat Island and Tree and Shade Subcommittee for the City of Phoenix. “While urban forests are infrastructure, they’re a public health infrastructure that is necessary to combat urban heat island issues and make Phoenix a more livable city.” The concept behind healthy urban forests is simple. Freeways, cars, buildings, and roads, the tangible, modern items that make our city a city, radiate heat, and that heat creates an urban heat island. Urban forests, which are most often comprised of a collection of connected trees (as in natural forests), band together and provide shade, helping lower temperatures. While shrubs are also beneficial, a cluster of trees offers more shade. “What makes a healthy urban forest is when there is connectivity among trees through public parks, homeowners and businesses having trees on their property and trees on our right-of-ways along the roadway,” Rodriguez said. “When all these trees are connected, they help one another out by being more viable.” In addition to reducing extreme heat and keeping the area cooler, healthy and viable trees in urban forests also help maintain soil moisture content. For landscapes, that translates to a reduction in municipal water use for watering purposes, improving the community’s environmental impact. In the same way houseplants help clean residential air, urban forests help remove pollutants from the environment. While people may not think that forests and deserts go together, Rodriguez promises they can be quite compatible. “Our surrounding desert is a natural environment,” Rodriguez said, “while nothing about our city is natural. So, for Phoenix to be a healthy, comfortable place to live, we must implement ideas like urban forests. You can have an urban forest in a desert environment when you use desert-adapted trees.” She further explained that “desert-adapted” doesn’t necessarily mean native trees. Trees can be sourced from anywhere in the world that has a similar dry climate. Phoenix has a diverse group of trees to choose from. Rodriguez suggests using appropriate trees from areas in China and Australia. Selecting varieties that won’t disturb urban fixtures, like sidewalks, is another necessary consideration. In 2010, Phoenix enacted the Tree and Shade Masterplan to increase the urban forest tree canopy to 25 percent city coverage by 2030. Unfortunately, the city is nowhere near meeting that goal. A 2014 study (the last study taken on the subject) estimated coverage at only nine percent. “We’re trying our best to keep Phoenix on track with those goals that are stipulated in the Tree and Shade Masterplan of 2010,” Rodriguez said. “We’re putting a lot of energy and focus into this to get it done and to make Phoenix a more habitable city now and for future generations.” In 2018, a study was conducted in Arcadia to develop a design concept for implementing bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements on 56th St. from Thomas to Camelback Road, encompassing about 1.5 miles. The project introduced various changes to the area, including bicycle and pedestrian gaps along the corridor, fixing utility and storm drainage issues, and opportunities for green infrastructure and enhanced landscape features. The proposal also promoted safe routes to school connections. According to Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association President Tristahn Schaub, the latest update was early this summer. The city of Phoenix has accepted DOT funds for the project, and Schaub said that the funds must be used by 2024. “My concern is that to get moving, the project would require a year’s worth of infrastructure plans and some additional community meetings, and COVID has stalled a lot of that,” Schaub said. The City of Phoenix website states that plans to start designing the project will happen in fall 2021. phoenix.gov Trees: A valuable resource that offers more than just shade Cities across the globe are seeing rising temperatures, in part, as a result of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This phenomenon is largely due to urban infrastructure like roads, buildings and sidewalks re- emitting heat at night that they absorbed throughout the day. Healthy trees can increase surrounding property values by 2-10%. Apartments and homes located near a park have even higher values. Large scale vegetated areas can be as much as 9°F cooler than non-green city centers. Various functions of trees, such as their evaporative cooling effect, help to reduce urban heat island (UHI) effect and heat stress-related illness and fatalities. Trees provide significant storm water retention benefits by intercepting and absorbing rainfall and by increasing the ability of soil to store water. Large trees (-37 ft. crown spread) intercept over 2,000 gallons of rainfall annually. Evapotranspiration and shade that trees provide help cool down buildings and reduce the need for air conditioning, which decreases energy consumption. Using less energy equals direct costs savings for building owners and resource savings for the community. Trees improve air quality by intercepting particulate matter and absorbing gaseous pollutants. They also help reduce atmospheric CO ! levels by capturing and storing it. Source: phoenix.gov Xavier College Preparatory is a Catholic community that strives to prepare young women of faith with the knowledge, skills, and integrity to meet the challenges of a changing global society in a positive and productive manner celebrating unity. All are welcome! Open House Oct. 31, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 8th Grade Day Oct. 29, 2021 | 9:30 a.m. - 1:0 0 p.m. Xavier Entrance Exam Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022 or Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 at 7:30 a.m. Registration for exam and application information at xcp.org. 9th Grade applications are due Jan. 24, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. A ff ording a Xavier Education Financial Aid Workshops available to interested parents during the Entrance Exam Testing, Jan. 8, 2022 and Jan. 22, 2022. For More Information Visit xcp.org
SCOTTSDALE WATERFRONT 7025 E Via Soleri Drive Scottsdale | AZ 85253 +1 602 768-3772 NORTH SCOTTDALE 20707 N. Pima Rd. #135 Scottsdale | AZ 85255 +1 480 515-5900 ©2021 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verifi ed. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act. ©2021 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verifi ed. /evscottsdale Visit us online at scottsdale.evrealestate.com Bob Nathan +1 480-695-6031 Jeff Bloom +1 602-418-1723 Diana Peters +1 480-694-2261 Bob Sutton +1 602-672-8192 Shannon Christie +1 480-789-0777 Tricia TedioSmith +1 949-409-2020 Myra Nathan +1 480-273-1412 Jim Bruske +1 602-768-3772 Rebecca Wagner +1 602-741-5659 Shawn Allard +1 480-278-4779 Mike Wagner +1 206-683-3685 Kelly Brown +1 602-740-2933 Dana Bloom +1 480-600-6606 Julianna Eriksen +1 480-522-8800 Kris Schatzberg +1 602-284-8485 Robert Rogers +1 480-382-2629 Scott Lorsch +1 480-220-3201 TJ Nathan +1 480-205-9404 Jessica Nelson +1 520-977-3905 Jason Irwin +1 480-561-7626 Gretchen Baumgardner +1 602-909-7056 Ekaterina Arias +1 804-399-5499 Beth Walker +1 480-338-4141 As global leaders in luxury, at any pricepoint, Engel & Völkers provides our clients with the brand power, expert knowledge base, and premium technology to ensure a bespoke experience of the highest caliber and competence, each and every time. Every individual at Engel & Völkers is driven by an ethos of leadership. It’s why we don’t simply have agents, but rather, trusted advisors to guide clients through their home journey with precise knowledge and distinguished care. True Commitment To Integrity, Community & Our Clients W E A R E E N G E L & V Ö L K E R S | S C O T T S D A L E Coming Soon... SCOTTSDALE WATERFRONT 7025 E Via Soleri Drive Scottsdale | AZ 85253 +1 602 768-3772 NORTH SCOTTDALE 20707 N. Pima Rd. #135 Scottsdale | AZ 85255 +1 480 515-5900 ©2021 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verifi ed. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act. ©2021 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verifi ed. /evscottsdale Visit us online at scottsdale.evrealestate.com Bob Nathan +1 480-695-6031 Jeff Bloom +1 602-418-1723 Diana Peters +1 480-694-2261 Bob Sutton +1 602-672-8192 Shannon Christie +1 480-789-0777 Tricia TedioSmith +1 949-409-2020 Myra Nathan +1 480-273-1412 Jim Bruske +1 602-768-3772 Rebecca Wagner +1 602-741-5659 Shawn Allard +1 480-278-4779 Mike Wagner +1 206-683-3685 Kelly Brown +1 602-740-2933 Dana Bloom +1 480-600-6606 Julianna Eriksen +1 480-522-8800 Kris Schatzberg +1 602-284-8485 Robert Rogers +1 480-382-2629 Scott Lorsch +1 480-220-3201 TJ Nathan +1 480-205-9404 Jessica Nelson +1 520-977-3905 Jason Irwin +1 480-561-7626 Gretchen Baumgardner +1 602-909-7056 Ekaterina Arias +1 804-399-5499 Beth Walker +1 480-338-4141 As global leaders in luxury, at any pricepoint, Engel & Völkers provides our clients with the brand power, expert knowledge base, and premium technology to ensure a bespoke experience of the highest caliber and competence, each and every time. Every individual at Engel & Völkers is driven by an ethos of leadership. It’s why we don’t simply have agents, but rather, trusted advisors to guide clients through their home journey with precise knowledge and distinguished care. True Commitment To Integrity, Community & Our Clients W E A R E E N G E L & V Ö L K E R S | S C O T T S D A L E Coming Soon... Knowledge is power in the real estate market, and for this reason, Engel & Völkers Scottsdale prides itself on its “Team of Experts” approach to sales. At Engel & Völkers, Jim Bruske is a Private Office Advisor and talent recruiter alongside Gretchen Baumgardner, his long-standing business partner, servicing Scottsdale Waterfront and the surrounding neighborhoods of Paradise Valley and Arcadia. They also serve clients in many capacities, whether it’s brokering a land deal, finding properties for prospective buyers, or showing off the many wonderful attributes of the cities and towns across Arizona. W E A R E E N G E L & V Ö L K E R S | S C O T T S D A L E Visit us online at brusketeam.com NORTH SCOTTSDALE 20707 N. Pima Rd. #135 Scottsdale | AZ 85255 +1 480 515-5900 SCOTTSDALE WATERFRONT 7025 E Via Soleri Drive Suites D/E Scottsdale | AZ 85251 +1 602 768-3772 Grand Opening - October 19th © 2021 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act. /evscottsdale Jim Bruske Branch Manager Private Office Advisor Gretchen Baumgardner Associate Broker Global Real Estate Advisor Are you a real estate agent interested to see how your business can triple? CONTACT US AT +1 602 768-3772 SO WE CAN GET STARTED. 6920 E HUMMINGBIRD LN PAR ADISE VALLEY 6 BD | 8 BA | 9,321 SF | $6,600,000 Jim Bruske / Gretchen Baumgardner 6247 E L AFAYETTE BLVD SCOTT SDALE 4 BD | 5 BA | 5,026 SF | $3,750,000 Jim Bruske / Gretchen Baumgardner 6121 N NAUNI VALLEY DR PAR ADISE VALLEY 4 BD | 4.5 BA | 6,200 SF | $15,000,000 Jim Bruske / Gretchen Baumgardner