Urban University Interface.com

Sacrifice Zone,Tucson Weekly 2/9/12.  The Tucson Weekly quotes several neighborhood and historical leaders on the potential impact of a new transition zone called the Main Gate District.  This is a new overlay which is part of a growing collection of proposed overlay plans called UODs.  This amounts to an up-zoning of targeted properties to answer to pressure for development.  UODs (Urban Overlay Districts) are increasingly relied upon by the University, the RTA, developers and our city planners.   The first, was the Infill Incentive District (IID) in 2006 which can have its own sub-districts, like the Downtown Core District (DCD).  It enabled The District student housing project which is a 5 story housing compound in the West University Neighborhood.  The Main Gate District and the DowntownLINKS are two UODs pending final approval that can significantly impact U of A and downtown neighborhoods and edge development.  Future UOD’s can include the street car linkage, Fourth Avenue, and all RTA funded widening projects along arterial streets.  This appears to be the future of planning that presents a huge challenge for neighborhoods.   Read more about the Main Gate District in the Daily Wildcat.   To see where the MGD started.  You might also recall two articles in the  Arizona Daily Star about the genesis of the MGD:   November 2011 /  December 2011