On October 30, I delivered my 4^th annual State of Downtown address. I announced proposals for how we can make downtown an even better place to work, live, learn, play and visit, and described how doing so benefits our entire city.  My first announcement received some hearty applause: the most disruptive part of light-rail construction downtown is done. I agree that dodging cones and navigating around construction zones has been “challenging.” But those challenges are also growing pains – bringing with them thousands of good-paying construction jobs that help offset the housing slowdown. No one intends light rail to be the only method of transportation for everyone working downtown – but it’s an important addition to our transportation system. I propose we also expand the DASH (Downtown Area Shuttle) system, with new routes to connect our downtown neighborhoods to the university campus, to the biomedical district and to the city, county and State Capitol. Along with light rail, expanded DASH service would greatly benefit the 50,000 people who work downtown – as well as our environment. In addition to being one of the largest employment districts in the city, downtown is becoming a place where more people want to live. All the new residential projects underway will allow 7,000 more people to live downtown. But I want to make it easier and more affordable for even more people. What Franklin Roosevelt did for the entire nation 75 years ago, we can do today, for firefighters, police officers, teachers, government employees and nurses. If we can build a thousand new hotel rooms downtown, we can surely build a thousand homes that working people can afford.  In the last three years, we’ve made great progress in making downtown Phoenix a center for education – 6,000 students are enrolled at ASU’s downtown campus, which is expanding. The U of A has downtown Phoenix extensions of its College of Pharmacy and College of Medicine up and running. But I’d like to undertake a new private/public capital campaign, in partnership with our law firms, ASU and the city of Phoenix. I have invited Dr. Crow to relocate ASU’s College of Law to downtown Phoenix, where our courts and so many of our law firms are located.   Another reason to come downtown is to play. – Besides great places to play indoors – restaurants, museums, theaters and sports arenas  – a vibrant downtown also needs places that draw everyone to play outside. In December 2008 we’ll have a three-acre grand Civic Space, and by 2009 we’ll have our new Patriots Park. Both will add green space, trees and shade to downtown, reducing the heat island effect. And that benefits the entire Valley. I’d also like to renew our Parks and Preserve Initiative next year – and add a defining component to connect all our downtown open spaces with pathways for pedestrians and bicycles: runners, strollers and students … kids playing catch and dogs chasing Frisbees. Across our entire city, let’s make sure they can all move from one park to another, one building to another, and one event to another – without ever leaving the shade.  In addition to people who work, live, learn and play downtown, every year, millions more come to Phoenix as visitors. While we’ve made great progress in adding new hotel rooms downtown, we still need more. I want to convene a summit of private-sector hotel builders and get them to commit to building the additional rooms. Downtown has been an important catalyst for great new projects across the city, from the CityNorth project under construction in northeast Phoenix, to Legacy Village that opened in 2004 in South Mountain Village. The 50,000 people who work downtown live throughout our community – spending their money where they live, creating an economic avalanche that benefits our entire city. So there is an absolute and direct connection between a healthy downtown and a healthy Ahwatukee, Laveen and Sunnyslope – or for that matter, a healthy Patagonia, Prescott and Page.