Carlos Balsas

Senior Researcher, Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory

Ph.D. (Regional Planning) University of Massachusetts, Amherst
M.R.P. University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Licentiate (Higher Honors Degree) (Urban and Regional Planning) University of Aveiro, Portugal
A.I.C.P., A.P.A.

Urban revitalization, transportation planning, sustainable transportation planning, scholarship of teaching, international planning.

An analysis of pedestrian and bicycle safety in downtown Phoenix, Implications for downtown revitalization
The main goal of this project is to analyze pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns in downtown and inner-city areas of Phoenix. The strategy includes a review of the literature and pedestrian and bicycle safety in urban areas, as well as a review of selected case studies of best practicing in the US and abroad. The ultimate objective is to create a typology (or framework for analysis) of pedestrian and bicycle crashes in the inner city and propose ways to mitigate some of those problems. We expect this to be accomplished by working with the city of Phoenix and other community groups on strategies for testing and potentially implementing recommendations for specific locations in the downtown and inner-city areas of Phoenix.
Funding provided by Catholic Healthcare West, $25,000, 2006-2007

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Urban Revitalization in Arizona
TIF is an increasingly popular way to finance public investment and to stimulate private investment in infill or redevelopment areas. Preliminary research indicates that Arizona is the only State in the country where the state's statutes do not allow Tax Increment Financing. The successful experience with TIF in other states suggests that it may be a tool worth pursuing for use in Arizona. From an economic development perspective, the inability to employ TIFs may handicap Arizona communities in competing with other cities around the country in the effort to attract redevelopment interests and resources. The purpose of this project is to research the history, evolution and current uses of this economic development tool in selected US cities and to extract lessons learned for Arizona.
Funding provided by the Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory - PURL

Homelessness in Phoenix, Implications for Downtown Revitalization
Homelessness in cities is a serious problem with many socio-economic consequences. Homeless people tend to concentrate in cities because that is where most of the social and health services are located. It is estimated that more than 12,000 people are homeless in Maricopa County. Of this population, about 1,000 chronically homeless men and women can be counted in downtown Phoenix on any day or night. This project will characterize the homelessness situation in Phoenix and will recommend ways to decrease the potentially less-positive impacts of homeless in the downtown area (e.g. affordable housing, urban design practices, local and regional partnerships, etc.).
Funding provided by the Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family

Carlos J.L. Balsas, Ph.D., A.I.C.P., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Planning in the College of Design. He received his Ph.D. in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and joined ASU in 2004. His current research interests are in the areas of downtown revitalization and nonmotorized transportation planning. Professor Balsas' past research includes studies on the use of public-private partnerships to revitalize city centers in the US and Europe, the impacts of mega-event development in Portugal, and sustainable transportation planning on college campuses. Currently, he teaches advanced urban studio projects, ethics and planning theory, and sustainable transportation planning.