This paper is the culmination of a fifteen-week design study in partnership with a high school teacher to utilize design thinking in a classroom context. A procedure for guiding the educator through the design process was developed and implemented to gain understandings into whether incorporating design thinking in a classroom context would enhance educators problem-solving abilities and empower them to effectively tackle complex problems. The findings suggest that design thinking is a powerful tool for educator’s and can have a positive impact on their classroom environment, though continued support is key. The paper begins with a situation analysis report to discuss the mission of the partner organization, as well as goals and expectations of the study. It continues with the theoretical inspiration statement which articulates the theoretical underpinnings of the study. Then, the design statement and prototype describe the outline of the procedures developed to guide the collaborating teacher through the design process. The paper concludes with the design enactment report which includes a narrative of the process and details the findings.

This project explores the current building and land use within the South Mountain Village (SMV) area. The South Central Light Rail extension corridor serves as a focus area, including a half mile radius around each of the five proposed light rail stations. Research of the area included analyzing SMV demographic information, analyzing land use and zoning, conducting a site visit, researching case studies, and information on current City of Phoenix, and other transit oriented development plans. Based on the research and case studies, recommendations and propositions are made for:

1. The implementation of a community-based transit oriented development.
2. The integration of green infrastructure and urban agriculture.
3. Best land management practices.
4. Policy to ensure appropriate and sustainable planning for the future.

With the proposed expansions in the Valley around the Rio Salado river, a new opportunity arises to develop and innovate infrastructure which will benefit many city stakeholders. One of the areas affected by this expansion is the South Mountain Village, which is located just southeast of ASU’s Tempe campus and is the focused location of this analysis. As it stands, South Mountain Village exhibits a lack luster transportation infrastructure. Underutilized paved asphalt lots, highly distressed and failing pavement as well as inadequate pedestrian modes of transportation are all examples of poor infrastructure in need of renovation. The Rio Salado 2.0 revitalization project provides necessary funding, resources and support of the surrounding community to make progressive changes to the transportation infrastructure of South Mountain. Proposed changes to the existing transportation infrastructure will ultimately encourage connectivity between modes of transportation.

The main objective of the transportation network for Rio Salado 2.0 would be to determine the location of a centralized rail extension within the bounds of the project area. The rail extension would have the capabilities of transporting commuters from the area to Phoenix where most daily activities, such as work occur. The rail extension will focus on being centralized to maximize the accessibility for commuters but will also be influenced by heavily populated areas. In addition, the extension will also be determined by researching the most frequently used transit paths currently. Taking all these factors into consideration, a location for the rail extension will be determined. Once this goal is accomplished, another sub goal is created which involves increasing the connectivity of the transportation system.

The overall connectivity of the system is an important goal when proposing a rail extension, because there must be ways for commuters to get to the rail system. To accomplish this goal, bus routes, bike paths, and walkability of transit will all be analyzed. The system will be connected by having bike paths and sidewalks lead to bus stops that will take commuters to the rail station. In addition, bike paths and sidewalks near the rail extension will lead directly to the station to make rides quicker. Another possible option is adding a bike-sharing program to increase connectivity of the system between lines, especially those that cannot afford the maintenance and upfront cost of a well-equipped bicycle. Also, this may be a cheaper solution, the idea of the bike-sharing connecting transit rail lines, compared to building connecting transit lines, which may take more time as well. Improving the overall connectivity of the system leads to another minor goal of the transportation network for the project area, which will include improving the quality of the system.

Currently, bike paths, sidewalks, and bus stops are unattractive and disincentives the use of non-automobile transportation because of the poor condition they are in. To promote transit use, the system must be safe and desirable to use. The bike paths should be protected in high traffic areas, adequate shading around the paths should be provided for hot summers, and the bike lanes should not abruptly end. In addition, sidewalks should be shaded and be constructed properly with no infrastructure issues, such as large cracks or breaks in the cement. In order to promote cycling, off road infrastructures will be explored along the Salt River and Western Canals. In addition, to increase overall connectivity the configuration of the roadways will need to be adjusted for additional bike lanes and sidewalks. However, it is important to conduct an analysis that configures the roadway to maintain the current level of service with automobile congestion.

This report examines the energy infrastructure in the South Mountain Village of Phoenix AZ. The report is in support of the Rio Grande 2.0 project being implemented by the City of Phoenix in conjunction with Arizona State University. The report focuses on a small section of the village, for which we create energy demand profiles, solar generation profiles, and solar + storage generation profiles. We utilize these profiles to demonstrate the impact that neighborhood solar will have on the grid. We additionally research SRP’s deployment of smart grid technologies and SRP’s plans for the future of their power system. The report examines the benefits, and challenges of microgrid development in South Mountain Village. We undertake this study to identify strategies that increase energy efficiency, that implement resilient and redundant systems in the existing energy grid, and that provide flexibility and adaptability to the community’s energy systems.

Deploying these strategies will ensure the sustained provision of energy to the community in the event of catastrophic events. We demonstrate that the installation of rooftop solar photovoltaics on residential buildings in conjunction with battery storage systems proves more than sufficient to provide power to the residents of South Mountain Village. We explore the benefits and challenges for the development of smart grid infrastructure and microgrid networks in the village. We determine that the implementation of a smart grid and a parallel microgrid improves the resiliency of the Village’s energy systems. While SRP has managed to make progressive steps forward in implementing Smart Grid technologies, they can continue this progression by developing a unified communication system that is secure through cyber security measures to allow for reliable energy service to their customers. A hybrid development of smart grid and microgrid technologies in the village that employs rooftop solar photovoltaics and battery storage will provide community members with the resilient energy infrastructure they require in a future which entails multiplied risks of catastrophic events like increased heat waves and cyber attacks.

This study addresses the social and physical constraints and opportunities for South Mountain Village, particularly along the Rio Salado as it intersects with the proposed light rail extension on Central Avenue. The primary goals guiding this document are ecological restoration, social and physical connectivity, maintenance, management, development and future planning. This study discusses the history of the Rio Salado riparian area, analyses current riparian conditions, and provides context from similar cases both locally and nationally.

It has been demonstrated that access to recreational opportunities can improve the livelihood and reduce negative health effects for residents nearby. With this in mind, the physical connectivity of South Mountain residents is assessed to determine the degree of accessibility to recreational areas of the Rio Salado. This analysis will also be used to address areas in which residents do not have equitable access and will be used to guide recommendations to increase that access. Additionally, as growth occurs, existing social vulnerability concerns are addressed in regard to marginalized populations relying on the area’s ecological and grey infrastructure for refuge.

As the Rio Salado 2.0 Project and the Valley Metro South Central light rail extension begins construction and the opportunity to develop increases, residents and business owners are concerned that redevelopment will affect the integrity and connectivity of the area. This study outlines how these changes may affect stakeholders while keeping the area accessible and equitable for all. Evaluation of the sites and parcels surrounding the Rio Salado for future development while taking into account its rich history and needs of the community is important for the community and the City of Phoenix as a whole. This study incorporates concepts from the Rio Salado Beyond the Banks Area Plan and other existing plans and regulations for the area. This study aims to provide a roadmap for future development along the Rio Salado at South Mountain Village in a sustainable and equitable way.

Current educational systems are trying to transform their practices with those that align with critical thinking skills, collaboration amongst students and allowing students to feel motivated and engaged in learning. Within a special education classroom at a Title I high school located in South Tempe, Arizona, a design was innovated in order to attempt to enhance this learning environment to foster students’ ability to build intrinsic motivation and engaged within their classroom through collaboration and the autonomy supported by the teacher and this innovation. Throughout this paper, you will be able to see the contextual analysis, theoretical inspirations, design constructs and analysis of the implementation within two separate class periods.

The electric transportation (ET) and electric vehicle (EV) landscape is currently inequitable and inaccessible for many living in the Phoenix area. This is especially true for people without single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs), who are reliant on public transit, or do not live in the Metropolitan center. Transit is intricately related to the environment and, due to societal and political structures, most of these environmental injustices are concentrated in low-income and minority communities. The lack of political representation within these communities has led to increased exposure to a variety of issues. Equitable transportation has also suffered due to a significant gap in addressing the needs of these underserved communities (Bolin, et al., 2005). The concentration of inequities and environmental injustices is a direct result of the lack of representation. Therefore, equitable and inclusive collaboration on solutions is required in order to maintain fairness and access, (Clement, 2020) considering the legacy of institutional harm within historically marginalized communities. The TE Activator was created by Salt River Project (SRP) and Anthesis Group, a sustainability consulting agency. The Activator is a group of Phoenix-area organizations interested in shaping the ET landscape to positively influence the well-being of Arizonans. With this in mind, they have asked our team to focus on making the transition to electric transportation equitable and inclusive. Our report details the current state of electric transportation nationally and locally, analyzes equitable EV/ET programs and utility plans across the country, and reviews the City of Tempe’s electric transportation related efforts. For this, we conducted listening sessions with a national expert, the City of Tempe, Tempe Community Action Agency, and CHISPA, creating a Community Listening Pilot Project based on the preliminary listening sessions. Through our research, listening, and discussions we compiled tiered recommendations for the TE Activator that suggest systemic policy changes based on community priorities. Accompanying the report is an Equity Roadmap, Community Listening Script, and one-page Debrief.

The production and consumption of goods is a global phenomenon that has significant social and environmental impacts and challenges. In 2016, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that 25 million people were victims of forced labor. Forced labor is defined as “work that is involuntary and subject to penalty.” It is a subset of modern slavery, and is a complex problem that affects all three pillars of sustainability. Fair labor, on the other hand, is voluntary, requires fair compensation, and is free from penalty. With one in five jobs tied to global supply chains, it is vital that companies and organizations are committed to sustainability within the supply chain (Thorlakson et al., 2018). One critical aspect of this commitment includes a focus on fair labor practices.

ASU’s Trademark Licensing Department currently utilizes third-party vendors to verify that any licensed product, those marked with an ASU logo or trademark, have been sourced and produced under fair labor conditions. Our project focuses on steps that can be taken to elevate fair labor practices across the ASU supply chain for both licensed and unlicensed products. The Fair Labor Solutions Team has developed two primary deliverables: an overarching report and a fair labor problem identification presentation with a script to act as an education tool for ASU staff. The report contains the following elements: a landscape analysis of fair labor, ASU’s current procurement practices, a collection of exemplary case studies, and a tiered vision towards transformational change. Our team understands that ensuring fair labor throughout the ASU supply chain is not a linear process. The goal of our deliverables is to offer a strong foundation for the university's transition to sustainable procurement.

This report is concerned primarily with explaining the deliverables that our team, the Sustainable Saguaros, developed for the Kim Center for Social Balance (The Kim Center), as a requirement for graduation from the Master of Sustainability Solutions program at Arizona State University. As a growing non-profit organization, the Kim Center for Social Balance has a vision for integrated gender equity in workplaces nationwide but lacks the bandwidth to advance its strategy forward. The requested deliverables are: (1) a set of sector analyses for municipal government, healthcare, construction, and finance, (2) a summary of the gender-related reporting requirements for three reporting standards, and (3) a strategic action plan to improve the Kim Center’s board governance and engagement. Our sector analyses revealed common themes associated with gender-specific challenges in the workplace and identified sector-specific challenges that should be addressed in ways that are tailored to the sector. We developed the sector analyses by conducting extensive research into the current state of each sector as it pertains to gender equity, and then identifying challenges to women in the workplace. While we attempted to assess the state of each sector beyond the gender binary, consistent or reliable data was not readily available in most cases. We see this as an area where the Kim Center could help organizations improve in recognizing and supporting employees across the gender spectrum. The summary of reporting standards revealed that the existing gender-related requirements for the most well-established reporting standards are highly inconsistent. The gender-related reporting requirements for GRI, SASB, and NASDAQ did not have any significant overlap. The information required by these standards is routinely collected by US companies as part of their EEOC compliance, but may not be legal to collect in other countries. The strategic action plan for the Kim Center’s Board of Directors was formulated by analyzing the board’s bylaws, a survey conducted with current board members, and an internal non-profit assessment that was answered by their Executive Director. Using these resources, our team identified gaps in board governance that must be addressed in order to build the internal capacity for the Kim Center to operate effectively. From there, our team developed a case for improving board governance and outlined specific recommendations to strengthen the Kim Center’s board alignment and responsibilities.