CURRENT STATUS – VISION PLAN
CURRENT STATUS – VISION PLAN
PHASE ONE LAUNCHED
PHASE ONE LAUNCHED The process has begun to develop a regional vision for the Rio Reimagined (RIO) study area, building on local projects, plans, and prior community engagement efforts. This webpage will include regular updates on the current status of the planning process. For more general information on the regional vision plan for Rio Reimagined, click here.
With the breadth and complexity of the RIO study area, this initial phase to scope a plan is critical, and yet is only the beginning of community engagement. The scope and cost to develop a plan will be evaluated by partners, with a decision by the leaders of the RIO communities in fall 2025 on whether to proceed with “Phase Two”. Phase Two would include the expansive community engagement process necessary to develop the plan.
PHASE ONE LAUNCHED
PHASE ONE LAUNCHED
The process has begun to develop a regional vision for the Rio Reimagined (RIO) study area, building on local projects, plans, and prior community engagement efforts. This webpage will include regular updates on the current status of the planning process. This webpage will include regular updates on the current status of the planning process. For more general information on the regional vision plan for Rio Reimagined, click here.
With the breadth and complexity of the RIO study area, this initial phase to scope a plan is critical, and yet is only the beginning of community engagement. The scope and cost to develop a plan will be evaluated by partners, with a decision by the leaders of the RIO communities in fall 2025 on whether to proceed with “Phase Two”. Phase Two would include the expansive community engagement process necessary to develop the plan.
Current Activity
Formation of the Rio Reimagined Regional Vision Plan Scoping Committee
Summer 2025 – Fall 2025
A committee of RIO partners has been formed to work with consultants to scope a regional-scale vision plan for the Rio Reimagined study area. This Scoping Committee will convene over the summer/early fall to develop a scope of work for consideration by the elected leaders of the RIO communities. A subset of Scoping Committee members will form a Community Engagement Subcommittee that will also meet during this time.
Role of the Scoping Committee
Facilitated by the consultant team and staffed by the ASU University City Exchange, the Scoping Committee will be responsible for outlining:
- How this regional scale plan will support pre-existing plans
- Who the plan is for (intended audiences)
- How the plan will be formally adopted/accepted/etc.
- How the plan will be implemented
- The elements the plan will include (e.g., implementation strategy, priority projects, community engagement, etc.)
- A framework for identifying stakeholders
- Guiding principles for a community engagement model
Role of the Community Engagement Subcommittee
Current Activity
Formation of the Rio Reimagined Regional Vision Plan Scoping Committee
Summer 2025 – Fall 2025
A committee of RIO partners has been formed to work with consultants to scope a regional-scale vision plan for the Rio Reimagined study area. This Scoping Committee will convene over the summer/early fall to develop a scope of work for consideration by the elected leaders of the RIO communities. A subset of Scoping Committee members will form a Community Engagement Subcommittee that will also meet during this time.
Role of the Scoping Committee
Facilitated by the consultant team and staffed by the ASU University City Exchange, the Scoping Committee will be responsible for outlining:
- How this regional scale plan will support pre-existing plans
- Who the plan is for (intended audiences)
- How the plan will be formally adopted/accepted/etc.
- How the plan will be implemented
- The elements the plan will include (e.g., implementation strategy, priority projects, community engagement, etc.)
- A framework for identifying stakeholders
- Guiding principles for a community engagement model
Role of the Community Engagement Subcommittee
Meet the Committee Members!
Representatives from the public agencies that signed the 2018 Statement of Intent to initiate Rio Reimagined are participating in the Scoping Committee as shown below. A representative from the Gila River Indian Community also attends the Scoping Committee meetings.
In addition to these “RIO signatories,” the Scoping Committee includes three Community Leaders and one representative each from the Maricopa Association of Governments, Greater Phoenix Leadership (on behalf of the new social impact organization for Rio Reimagined), and the RIO Ambassador to Urban Waters.
The Scoping Committee is facilitated by a consultant team (ABLE Studio, PAM, and Sixth World Solutions) and staffed by the ASU University City Exchange, which has been the facilitator/convener for the Rio Reimagined initiative since its inception in 2018. The Community Engagement Subcommittee, also facilitated by the consultant team, is composed of the Community Leaders and Maricopa Association of Governments representatives shown below, as well as two representatives from the ASU University City Exchange: Maggie Soffel and Cecilia Riviere.
Scoping Committee Members Selection Process
RIO signatory communities were asked to identify one staff person to represent their organization on the Scoping Committee that has a general understanding of urban planning and can speak to their organization’s existing plans and projects that relate to the Rio Reimagined study area.
The Maricopa Association of Governments representative will serve as a link to regional planning on the Scoping Committee, the Greater Phoenix Leadership staff person will serve to connect the future non-profit for Rio Reimagined to the scoping process, and the RIO Ambassador to Urban Waters will address long-term funding strategies for the vision plan.
To fill three Community Leader positions on the Scoping Committee, input from the public on the important qualities, skillsets, and experience (i.e ‘criteria’) for the Community Leaders was gathered through a survey and an interactive discussion at the June 2025 Rio Reimagined partnership meeting. A total of 140 responses were received, and the feedback was used to develop a position description and selection criteria for these roles. Click here for more information about this community feedback. Call for Community Leaders was released on June 26, 2025 and closed on July 14, 2025. A total of 16 responses were reviewed by the RIO Core Operations Team using community-informed selection criteria, and three Community Leaders were selected to serve.
Representatives from the ASU University City Exchange will also serve on the Community Engagement Subcommittee to integrate prior work on community engagement for RIO into the scoping process.
Next Steps
The Scoping Committee and Community Engagement Subcommittee will meet from August–October 2025. Updates from their work will be shared during bi-monthly Rio Reimagined partnership meetings and in quarterly Rio Reimagined newsletters.
Meet the Committee Members!
Representatives from the public agencies that signed the 2018 Statement of Intent to initiate Rio Reimagined are participating in the Scoping Committee as shown below. A representative from the Gila River Indian Community also attends the Scoping Committee meetings.
In addition to these “RIO signatories,” the Scoping Committee includes three Community Leaders and one representative each from the Maricopa Association of Governments, Greater Phoenix Leadership (on behalf of the new social impact organization for Rio Reimagined), and the RIO Ambassador to Urban Waters.
The Scoping Committee is facilitated by a consultant team (ABLE Studio, PAM, and Sixth World Solutions) and staffed by the ASU University City Exchange, which has been the facilitator/convener for the Rio Reimagined initiative since its inception in 2018. The Community Engagement Subcommittee, also facilitated by the consultant team, is composed of the Community Leaders and Maricopa Association of Governments representatives shown below, as well as two representatives from the ASU University City Exchange: Maggie Soffel and Cecilia Riviere.
Scoping Committee Members Selection Process
RIO signatory communities were asked to identify one staff person to represent their organization on the Scoping Committee that has a general understanding of urban planning and can speak to their organization’s existing plans and projects that relate to the Rio Reimagined study area.
The Maricopa Association of Governments representative will serve as a link to regional planning on the Scoping Committee, the Greater Phoenix Leadership staff person will serve to connect the future non-profit for Rio Reimagined to the scoping process, and the RIO Ambassador to Urban Waters will address long-term funding strategies for the vision plan.
To fill three Community Leader positions on the Scoping Committee, input from the public on the important qualities, skillsets, and experience (i.e ‘criteria’) for the Community Leaders was gathered through a survey and an interactive discussion at the June 2025 Rio Reimagined partnership meeting. A total of 140 responses were received, and the feedback was used to develop a position description and selection criteria for these roles. Click here for more information about this community feedback. Call for Community Leaders was released on June 26, 2025 and closed on July 14, 2025. A total of 16 responses were reviewed by the RIO Core Operations Team using community-informed selection criteria, and three Community Leaders were selected to serve.
Representatives from the ASU University City Exchange will also serve on the Community Engagement Subcommittee to integrate prior work on community engagement for RIO into the scoping process.
Next Steps
The Scoping Committee and Community Engagement Subcommittee will meet from August–October 2025. Updates from their work will be shared during bi-monthly Rio Reimagined partnership meetings and in quarterly Rio Reimagined newsletters.
Stay Informed
Stay up to date on all things Rio Reimagined by attending the bimonthly Rio Reimagined partnership meetings, where speakers discuss a wide variety of programs, projects and progress of partners and the initiative at large. If you are not receiving the meeting notices for this public meeting, please email info@rioreimagined.com to sign up!
STAY INFORMED
Stay up to date on all things Rio Reimagined by attending the bimonthly Rio Reimagined partnership meetings, where speakers discuss a wide variety of programs, projects and progress of partners and the initiative at large. If you are not receiving the meeting notices for this public meeting, please email info@rioreimagined.com to sign up!
Stay Informed
Sign up to receive news, updates, and Rio Reimagined Partnership meeting invites to keep informed about the initiative.
Stay Connected
Sign up to receive news, updates, and Rio Partnership meeting invites to keep informed about the initiative.