East Mesa was as poorly planned as West Mesa, if not more so. We've already got vacant, run down buildings, code violations, empty dirt lots, and more and we don't even have age to blame for these things.

The Desert Uplands area is nice, and the Power Knowledge Corridor is very promising, but there is still a large population living between these two areas. It is time for the city to appoint a task force to examine the problems faced by the central corridor portion of East Mesa. This task force needs to then address these problems with the help of residents and landowners in this area.

We don't have to wait until the area East of Gilbert Road between University and Broadway ends up looking like Fiesta Village before we act. A small expenditure now can avoid a repeat of the tens of millions of dollars not being poured in the Fiesta, Riverview, and Downtown areas.

So, let's show that we've learned a thing or two from our mistakes, and start analyzing and addressing this area now. It is sad that we have a plan for "revitalizing" one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, but no plan for taking care of the dying areas that aren't thriving.

Design is important!
Possibly one of the biggest intellectual hurdles we have in Mesa is coming around to equating Design with Communication. It appears that design is still only considered for the purposes of decoration or self-expression, like “Art” or Crafts/Hobbies, and ultimately an afterthought.
Corporations and municipalities use the Branding process ( and Design) to communicate succinctly with other communities, businesses, and potential clients/residents. Design is used to communicate consistently across all media:“This is who we are, this is what we have to offer”.

While much of what makes Mesa interesting is the way in which it has evolved along side of other cities in the East Valley- it is also it's biggest weakness.Allowing things to evolve "organically" is simply not good enough anymore. Mesa needs to formally introduce its self to the rest of the Valley, and make a professional effort to explain our city and welcome others here.