Two of Matrix’ Planning Center of Excellence projects, the City of Flagstaff Southside Community Specific Plan and Pinal County Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) in Partnership with the Arizona National Guard, have been honored by the American Planning Association’s (APA) Arizona Chapter. The APA Arizona awards program celebrates the work of professional planners in making our communities better places to live.

The City of Flagstaff Southside Community Specific Plan was the winner of the Public Outreach category. Matrix worked alongside the City of Flagstaff and the Southside Community Association to develop a neighborhood plan for the area incorporating direct feedback from the community. The community had experienced significant discrimination and hardship during the 20th Century, leaving residents skeptical of the City’s intentions and the planning process. The plan approach was tailored to alleviate these concerns, mend relationships, and foster a partnership that supported hopeful ideas. Empowering communities through engagement to embrace the past and enhance the future is now serving as a model for other neighborhoods, enabling not just the Southside community but Flagstaff as a whole to create sustainable, equitable environments and a high quality of life through the built environment.

The Pinal County JLUS was named the Honorable Mention winner in the Master Plan/Project/Study category. This award is given to projects with particularly unique aspects or of quality deserving recognition. The JLUS involved coordinating the distinct operational needs of four Arizona National Guard installations, county and municipal leadership, business interests, and public and private stakeholders throughout the region. In emphasizing collaborative planning approaches and consensus-based solutions to incompatible resource use, Matrix delivered tailored strategies for ensuring both Guard operations and community growth can be sustained. The project partners are currently working on the implementation phase and are moving forward to address the key recommendations that will promote compatible growth and economic development.