REGIONAL VISION PLANNING
REGIONAL VISION PLANNING
Positioning Rio Reimagined for Long-Term Success
The development of a regional-scale vision plan for Rio Reimagined will be approached in phases. On June 26, 2024, elected leaders from communities within the Rio Reimagined study area met at Maricopa Association of Governments to discuss the benefits of a regional vision planning process for Rio Reimagined. Leaders supported the concept of an early scoping phase to evaluate and connect existing planning and community engagement along the river corridor and design a vision planning process informed by communities along the river.
RIO Communities’ Elected Leadership at MAG, June 2024
Positioning Rio Reimagined for Long-Term Success
Since the Rio Reimagined initiative first launched in 2018, there has been an intentional focus on partnership building and the creation of a regional revitalization identity for the river corridor. Local communities have invested in planning and projects; however, there has not been a regional community vision or plan established for the Rio Reimagined study area, a 55+ mile Salt and Gila River corridor traversing the urban metro Phoenix area. These local projects, plans, and prior community engagement efforts will serve as a foundation for a future regional-scale vision plan for Rio Reimagined that will require expansive community-led design and outreach, as well as alignment of municipal, county, and Native nations planning priorities.
RIO Communities’ Elected Leadership at MAG, June 2024
A Multi-Year Process
More about the vision plan scoping process
The Rio Reimagined Regional Vision Plan Scoping Committee included representation from the public agencies that signed the 2018 Statement of Intent to initiate Rio Reimagined as well as three Community Leaders, the 2023-2025 RIO Ambassador to Urban Waters, and one representative each from the Maricopa Association of Governments and Greater Phoenix Leadership. The Scoping Committee worked together over the course of five months (August-December 2025) to determine
- What purpose(s) does this plan need to serve?
- How should it relate to/support pre-existing plans?
- What are the most important plan ingredients and to what level of detail?
- How should community engagement be structured and led?
- How do we engage Indigenous communities and/or incorporate Indigenous knowledge into the planning process?
- How do we ensure transparency? How do we ensure reciprocity (i.e., mutually beneficial partnerships and co-creation during community engagement)?
- How should this type of plan be adopted/implemented?
Following completion of the vision plan scoping process in late 2025, RIO jurisdictions reviewed the draft scope of work developed by the Rio Reimagined Vision Plan Scoping Committee. In May 2026, Maricopa Association of Governments convened a briefing of city/county managers and tribal staff from across the RIO communities to update them on the results of the scoping process. The discussion was productive, with strong support expressed for moving the Rio Reimagined vision plan forward.
This web page will be updated as planning progresses, including final decision-making and fundraising needed to move the vision plan forward.
What is a Regional Vision Plan?
A “regional vision plan” for Rio Reimagined refers to a strategic framework that defines a shared, overarching direction for the future of the urban Salt and Gila River corridor.
Such a plan will build upon a foundation of existing plans, projects, and community engagement efforts aligning past and ongoing work while identifying key gaps and connections to guide coordinated action at a regional scale. The specific scope and content and outcome of a regional vision plan for Rio Reimagined will be determined through “Phase Two” plan development.
ASU Urban Planning Students Create Rio Reimagined Story Map
In Spring 2025, a passionate and energized team of graduate students from Arizona State University’s Master of Urban and Environmental Planning (MUEP) program participated in a Planning Workshop dedicated to the Rio Reimagined (RIO) Rivershed Asset Mapping project. Working with members of the Rio Reimagined partnership, the student team developed a draft asset map to support regional planning efforts along the Salt and Gila River corridor. Spanning 55 miles and encompassing six municipalities, two Native Nations, and Maricopa County, this urban geography project bridged academic theory with real-world application in GIS, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable planning.
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