Packing up the Corbett Porch

With the start of Phase 3 of the Downtown Links construction project, the City of Tucson and Living Streets Alliance, along with very generous help from Benjamin Plumbing Supply, will be packing up the planters and flex posts at the intersection of 6th Avenue and 7th Street by September 10, 2020.

This project was installed almost exactly two years ago in one day with the help of dozens of community members and volunteers, and the support of local businesses and organizations including AARP Tucson and Arizona, Mister Car Wash, Rio Nuevo, Exo Roast Co., Tap+Bottle, Zócalo Magazine, Ten West, the Railway Arts District, Tank’s Green Stuff, Spadefoot Nursery, Pima County Native Plant Nursery and Reproductions, Inc. The purpose of the project was to address traffic concerns at the four-way intersection and pre-enact the future intersection makeover that will be constructed at the end of the 3-year long Downtown Links project (for more information, visit: www.downtownlinks.info)

The project was originally intended to only last a year, but as the Downtown Links project struggled to reign in the ballooning budget, Tucsonans were able to enjoy the #CorbettPorch for almost an entire extra year. The #CorbettPorch has drawn people from all walks of life for photo shoots, events, pop-up sales, and even a movie night.

Since installation, the #CorbettPorch served as a conversation starter about how we design and allocate public space for people on publicly invested-in streets, and served as a vibrant and powerful example of what “streets for people” can look like.

In 2019, residents of the West University Neighborhood contacted LSA to ask how they could extend the concept of painted curb extensions to the intersection of University Blvd. and 6th Avenue, just a few blocks north of #CorbettPorch. A community-driven effort to paint the pavement and extend curbs at that intersection was installed in early 2020.

If you’re looking for an excuse to safely get out of the house and stretch your legs, we encourage you to visit the #CorbettPorch one last time before September 10th. And be sure to snap a photo or selfie and use the hashtag #CorbettPorch to help us document what this project has meant to Tucson!