Phoenix is looking to get more shady. But in a good way.
The city has a goal of a 25 percent shade canopy by 2030; right now, around 13 percent of Phoenix is shaded.
Alan Stephenson, the city’s Planning and Development director, is helping lead this effort.
I met him on a recent morning on Second Avenue and Van Buren Street — and yes, we were able to find some shade to stand under while we talked. He acknowledges having a quarter of the city under a shade canopy is a fairly large undertaking, and I ask him why the city’s trying to do it.
