What Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in her 2023 State of the City address. Every word

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego delivered these remarks at 12:30 p.m. April 12 at the Sheraton hotel in downtown Phoenix. For additional news, click here to read reporter Taylor Seely's coverage.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego: Thank you, everyone – great to see you. And thank you to the Greater Phoenix Chamber for your hard work to gather us all today – tribal leaders, business leaders, elected officials – Phoenicians. It’s an honor to be here before all of you to deliver this year’s State of the City.

A month ago, I stood in the atrium of City Hall on a beautiful Phoenix Friday morning. The sunlight was beaming in through the tall windows as community members gathered to celebrate and proclaim our inaugural “Phoenix History Month.” The idea came from our first-ever “Mayor’s Office Historian,” Steve Schumacher. We know the role history plays in connecting people to place, and Steve has been leading the way on thoughtful initiatives to lift voices from our past.

History Month got me thinking about our moment in time – where we came from and where we’re going.

From the Indigenous Huhugam people who dug hundreds of miles of canals and built the backbone of our agricultural systems, to the many families who came centuries later – the diverse groups and communities of our past saw what I saw when I packed all my belongings into my pickup truck and headed here in 2004: boundless opportunity.

Today, I am excited to share with you, how, inspired and energized by our past, we are capitalizing on opportunities every day to usher in a better future – a Future that is Phoenix.

The facts speak for themselves –

• Best-in-class companies and educational institutions are making landmark investments in Phoenix,

• We continue to strategically invest in our transportation systems to serve Phoenicians in key areas of the city,

• We’re innovating to tackle existential challenges such as drought and extreme heat, and acting as a model for other cities around the world,

• And we’re governing our great city equitably, always thinking about ways to improve and better serve this community.

None of this could be possible without the Phoenix City Council, who has accomplished so much. And our elected officials could not deliver without our City Manager, Jeff Barton, and his strong team. We have amazing employees at the city, and I am thankful to have them delivering for our residents day-in and day-out. Can we get a round of applause for the City Council and city employees?

We also owe a debt of gratitude to the partnerships and support from companies, nonprofits, and individuals in this room.

Your presence here today reinforces that the work ahead is not a solo venture. After all, we share a common vision for the future.

When I think about that future, I think about how kids including my son, Michael, are watching it arrive right now – every day. I think about how, to our kids, where we are now is only the beginning. The cranes in the skyline and the construction teams at the airport – to today’s kids, that’s the starting point.

That’s why our work comes at a critical inflection point for the city.

I want Michael to be able to stay here for a lifetime if he wants to. To have the chance at a great education. I want Michael to be able to raise a family here should he choose, and to enjoy South Mountain in the springtime just as he did when he was an infant. I want him to be able to afford a home, and to be confident that when he turns on the tap, there will always be clean water flowing. And I want him to continue growing in a city that’s brightest days are ahead.

I know moms and dads across our city share the same wishes – as do many of you.

And like other moms, mayors, or “mom-mayors” – I have a to-do list, in fact many lists, of goals to accomplish. Raising a six-year-old and running a city have more in common than you’d expect.

Along both lists – we are making promising progress.

***

To guarantee that Michael, and every Phoenician, have uninterrupted water access in Future Phoenix, I am ecstatic to share with you all the news of the day. Last week, the Phoenix City Council and I unanimously approved the first step to formalize our collaboration with Valley cities on the development of an Advanced Water Purification facility.

By augmenting our existing 91st Avenue regional facility with advanced treatment technology, we will recycle around 60 million gallons per day upon completion. Estimated to be a multi-billion-dollar investment, I’m proud that Phoenix is driving effective, pragmatic solutions with proven technology.

We are joined by leaders throughout the Valley who will work with us to secure our water supply. We understand the urgency, and we are working at full speed to deliver big solutions by the end of the decade.

I know you all understand the urgency, too. Many of your companies have set ambitious water conservation and restoration goals. We will continue to bring new ideas to the table to be good partners, and together we can co-create new solutions.

***

We’re lucky to have historic federal investment to support these actions. Beyond taking these critical first steps to secure our water future, we are using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dollars to modernize the foundation of the city itself. Thanks to partnerships in this room and ones that span from here to Washington, D.C., Phoenix is leveraging federal funding to move the needle on additional, much-needed infrastructure projects.

The federal jump-start on our infrastructure has gone hand-in-hand with existing Phoenix initiatives that will make real differences.

For example, we have three new light rail projects that will open in the next four years.

We expect to see light rail cars operating on the Metro Center and South Central extensions next year! These projects will connect our city and unlock opportunities.

We could not have made this progress without our voters who saw the value in public transit investments and approved our Transportation 2050 plan in 2015 – a campaign I was proud to chair.

Recently, a reporter with Business Insider wrote, “Phoenix has all the tools” and “a transit plan to turn it into a commuter paradise.”

As the transit mayor and a leader in the “Electric Valley” – I couldn’t agree more.

In that vein, today I’m renewing the call on our legislators to do the same – to recognize the value in transportation investments – and to carve a path forward for Proposition 400, the county-wide tax that has enabled us to invest in crucial infrastructure. I speak for leaders across the county – the leaders of local governments and tribes who unanimously agreed to the regional transportation plan – when I say that failure on Prop. 400 is not an option. An extension of the half-cent tax is necessary – and county residents overwhelmingly agree.

Let’s get it on the ballot and get this done.

Phoenix will do the same with our city’s bond program later this year. Last December, the City Council and I approved half a billion dollars to fund improvements to parks, roads, fire stations, arts facilities, and more across the city.

The last time Phoenix requested a general obligation bond was in 2006 – and there’s no better time than the present to revive this successful program.

In the past, Phoenicians have approved bond investments because they can see the impacts with their own eyes.

Just blocks from this room, ASU’s Downtown Campus shines as an example of what this kind of intentional investment can do for Phoenix. It may be hard to remember downtown without ASU, but the nearly 20,000 students we have today wouldn’t be there without the 2006 bond election. Thanks to the vision of former Mayor Phil Gordon and his back-of-the-napkin deal with Dr. Michael Crow, we’ve witnessed a total transformation of our downtown. Our 2006 bond is still working for us. Imagine what we can accomplish with another one.

For me, that isn’t hard – let me highlight one of the projects that will become reality with the bond funding. With Dr. Crow and the team at ASU, we will bring together the experts in our backyard to create a cutting-edge research facility that combines two areas of expertise for Phoenix: semiconductors and medical devices. With this investment, we will continue making sure the road to cure cancer goes through Phoenix, using semiconductor technology that’s made right in our community.

From building a library in the Desert Ridge area to improving South Mountain Park, the bond will invest throughout our city – and the potential is enormous. I want to thank our distinguished Bond Committee, led by Sharon Harper and Superintendent Aguilar-Lawlor.

I urge those sitting here today – and those watching at home – to once again place their trust in us and believe in the vision of the bond this November.

***

To attract outside investment and to sustain it locally, we must continue our mission to strengthen the very fabric of our city. Yes, that means fixing our roads and building accessible transit – but even more, it means incorporating the technology of our future into everyday living.

For me, there was perhaps no better showcase of our success than what we presented on the global stage during Super Bowl 57.

In Phoenix alone, we welcomed over 6,000 credentialed media and 300,000 fans.

We hosted the largest ever free NFL-sanctioned watch party in Super Bowl history, with over 24,000 attendees.

And not only was the party big – it was zero-waste!

The City of Phoenix Public Works Department collected more than 101 tons of material from Super Bowl events. Because of their hard work, we scored a 92.6-percent waste diversion, surpassing the EPA’s required threshold to be considered zero-waste.

That’s because the future is unfolding in Phoenix – we are home to one of just four “Robot Depackagers” in the country. Depackagers can process 15 tons per hour, removing organic material from packaging to be composted. Our city’s commitment to becoming the most sustainable desert city will be met in part through innovative technologies such as this one.

The Super Bowl also enabled us to flex the creative and hardworking minds behind Sky Harbor Airport, who left no stone unturned to deliver a great experience. From our gorgeous new concourse at Terminal 4 to the completion of the Sky Train, the airport business partners have been delivering impressive upgrades.

As our world gets smaller and more connected through commercial flight, airports offer the first impression we get of a place. And not only is Sky Harbor America’s friendliest airport – it may as well be dubbed the world’s most innovative.

Sky Harbor was the first airport where passengers can show identification at security using Apple Watch or iPhone.

That helped Sky Harbor clock security wait times of less than 22 minutes the day after the big game – the busiest travel day on record.

Five short months ago, we also became the first airport in the world to offer autonomous vehicle service as Waymo glided up to our Sky Train station. It’s been fun to see the reaction online. A visiting stand-up comedian who drove in a Waymo announced to his followers that the future had arrived in Phoenix and compared us to a Jetsons' episode.

From the airport to our sustainability programs, exciting things are happening here. That’s because we have cultivated an environment where the technologies of tomorrow are tested today, here in the beloved, living lab that is Phoenix.

This is why families and companies alike are drawn here.Just as our global presence grows, so does the incoming investment.

Since my last State of the City, TSMC has doubled down on their investment in Phoenix. When they announced in summer of 2020 that they would invest $12 billion in Phoenix, it marked the largest economic development deal in our history.

In December, they topped that, announcing a total of $40 billion in investment. President Biden, the Secretary of Commerce, and even Apple CEO Tim Cook joined us to celebrate this announcement, putting Phoenix in the international headlines once again as the up-and-coming semiconductor capital of the world.

I recently had the chance to welcome Arizonans and Taiwanese families at Sky Harbor who had just landed on a charter flight direct from Taipei. Tired, carrying boxes and luggage, they did what I’m sure many folks would do after getting off a trans-Pacific flight: stop to chat with a mayor, their CEO, and hundreds of new co-workers.

I especially enjoyed connecting with the Arizonans who had returned from training, where they learned how to operate complex fab machinery – the same machinery being set up in north Phoenix.

These opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute back to the Arizona economy are invaluable. That is the kind of competitive talent we are curating in a global world, with a concentration right here in the city of Phoenix.

Tech companies have noticed.

That’s why, after 50 years in California, the leaders of SEMICON West, the nation’s premier microelectronics conference, have announced that they will host their event at the Phoenix Convention Center in 2025.

This a big win for Arizonans and a significant shift in the tech industry, signaling that our efforts to make the Valley a microchip manufacturing hub are working.

With the draw of TSMC, Intel, and 75 other Valley semiconductor companies, SEMICON’s arrival to Phoenix means even more high-paying job opportunities and new investments in technology, education, and public safety.

Safe to say – the future is Phoenix.

To protect that future and holistically shape it – we must keep doubling down and delivering on our values.

To me, that means ensuring Phoenicians can get a great education that doesn’t cost them a fortune. Whether it’s a four-year degree at a state university or pursuing a quick start program at one of our community colleges – at the city, we know that ensuring a solid career path doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach.

Last summer, the city launched the “Route to Relief” program in partnership with Maricopa Community Colleges.

Using American Rescue Plan dollars, our program is providing free tuition across the 10 county community colleges. Not only that, but we also made sure to dedicate dollars to help single parents overcome barriers to education and employment, including child care and transportation.

Rylee is an expecting mom who was born and raised in Phoenix. She was working part time and serving in the Air Force Reserves when she heard about Route to Relief. After researching TSMC and the industry, Rylee enrolled in the Semiconductor QuickStart Boot Camp at Estrella Mountain. When she finished her coursework, Rylee landed a job as a Manufacturing Technician at TSMC. Not only did she tell me it is the best paying job she has ever had, but she is excited to build her career there. Congratulations, Rylee!

***

We know the importance of housing to education access and employment. I’ve heard from too many families that their rent is increasing at an unsustainable rate. I want to assure Phoenicians that we remain focused on making sure they have an affordable place to call home.

In 2019, we adopted the Housing Phoenix Plan with the goal of building or preserving 50,000 units by 2030 – the most ambitious housing goal ever set by our city.

I’m pleased to say that we’re well on our way to achieving it – to date, we have built or preserved more than 26,000 units.

We also launched a Community Land Trust pilot program in partnership with the nonprofit Newtown. In other cities, these programs have gained traction as models to address long-term affordability challenges and combat critical systemic inequities.

I am proud that Phoenix is stepping up to ensure the community stewardship of land so that it stays affordable for generations.

As we rise to the challenge of building more long-lasting affordable housing with the Community Land Trust program, let us continue working together – public, private, and nonprofit sectors – to see this program through to success. Let’s work together to expand property acquisition opportunities, invest in more legal and technical expertise, and increase philanthropic investment so that many more families can reap the benefits of stable housing.

We have much more work to do to not only build affordable housing but to expedite ways to get residents into housing.

Since Phoenix has added more people than any other city in the United States, the demand for and cost of housing has gone up. Central Arizona is meeting that demand in more inventive ways than ever. Last year, I spoke about 3D printed houses and Diamond Age’s decision to move their headquarters to Phoenix. Now, downtown is home to the country’s tallest shipping container project, a sustainable four-story complex that includes eco-friendly features such as a rainwater reclamation system and solar panels.

We are building on this success with a much larger project on Buckeye Road, future home to a complex of shipping container housing units. In collaboration with Steel and Spark, these units can be built and deployed much more quickly. They can be used as shelters, transitional, and emergency housing. In tandem with our efforts to zone and build affordable housing, these “Sparkboxes” will play a part in solving our housing shortage.

And we must keep pursuing additional solutions. In one of the wealthiest countries on planet Earth, we can all agree that no one should be living on the street.

Sadly, homelessness is not unique to Phoenix – more than half a million individuals are experiencing homelessness in America.

What is unique to Phoenix is that our city is putting every solution on the table to lift people out of homelessness. We have seven new investments coming soon in collaboration with many nonprofit partners. That is on top of the city providing more than 7,000 housing vouchers and managing more than 5,000 affordable housing units.

During my first day as mayor, I visited Native American Connections’ Youth Shelter. This shelter helps young adults transition from homelessness to housing and greater independence. I met a young woman named Monique, who, against all odds, graduated from her dental assistant program even though she didn’t have stable housing. It was thanks to wrap-around services and relentless support that her story was a successful one.

It’s on us – at all levels of government – to be the force multipliers to see that there are many more success stories like Monique’s.

Just last week, I celebrated the launch of another new service. The YMCA homeless youth drop-in center and residential program for young adults will provide case management, food, technology, workforce development and immediate crisis support to young people in need.

Another success that I love talking about is the city’s revitalization of the Edison-Eastlake public housing community. As a councilwoman, I spent hours attending community roundtables, hearing from residents about their vision for this project – including their hopes for gathering spaces, shaded walkways, and access to public transit.

In October, we delivered. Soluna is the first modern, energy-efficient building to open its doors as part of a larger redevelopment. Eighty percent of the units are designated as affordable.

Supported by an initial 30-million-dollar federal grant that I worked to bring to our city, the project will transform 557 outdated units into a mixed-income community of more than 1,000 new homes. And yesterday, we found out that we will receive an additional 10 million dollars to help complete the project. This will be the largest public housing site in the entire state, and I’m so proud that it’s here in Phoenix.

As the city continues to confront this challenge head-on, I am renewing my call to our partners – from other municipalities across the Valley to state and county agencies: The only way we can solve a problem that affects us all is by working together.

Often, especially for our unsheltered population, the first people on the scene during what might be someone’s worst day is a uniformed Phoenix police officer.

For too long, we’ve asked our officers to be more than those who enforce our laws. We've unfairly tasked them to serve as doctors, mental health professionals, and addiction specialists.

And while we are constantly working to improve our police department, in the last few years, we have targeted our efforts to expand our services to better serve both our community and our officers.

For the first time, the City of Phoenix invested nearly ten million dollars to support access to mental health care through Mercy Care, a not-for-profit health plan that provides critical services to the underinsured and uninsured. We’re also piloting the Behavioral Health Engagement Team, which works across public and nonprofit sectors to support individuals affected by the opioid crisis.

In its four months of operation – this team has already held 12 coordinated outreach events, contacted nearly 200 individuals, and connected 57 of them to services and lifesaving treatment. These kinds of partnerships are essential to stopping homelessness at the root of the problem.

The city’s Community Assistance Program, or CAP, is another example of how we’re working to make sure the right care is given at the right time.

CAP has allowed our police and fire departments to focus on incidents directly in their wheelhouse while enabling those in crisis to get professional care.

Last month, I was fortunate enough to attend a CAP hiring event where, just in the hour or so I spent there, 14 people were interviewed and hired on the spot.

One of those people was Denise, who learned about CAP through her son, a Phoenix police officer.

Denise came to the hiring event as a walk-in, and within two hours, she had a brand-new, meaningful job. But the best part of it, she told me, was the possibility of meeting her son on the scene to help a Phoenician in need. Thank you both for your service to our community.

I hope Denise’s story shows how easy it can be to get an impactful job with the city.

I’m also proud to say we are now the highest-paying law enforcement agency in the state of Arizona.

We want to attract the best officers, and we want to make sure they meet our city’s high standards for safety and accountability.

Officer Jacob Tinto, who recently retired from the Phoenix Police Department, stands as a prime example of what can happen when we invest in law enforcement personnel.

Officer Tinto was working near the Human Services Campus and had received several calls to transport a woman to get care. Over time, Jacob got to know the woman. He helped her obtain critical services, and ultimately helped her out of homelessness. His work left such a deep impact on her that, when she gave birth to a baby, she named him after Jacob. To me, naming a child after someone is one of the most powerful compliments that a person could give.

To those who say it’s not possible: We can and we will be both progressive and practical on policing – it’s limiting to see these as mutually exclusive. Pragmatism delivers results.

I am willing to work with anyone from any political party or professional background on strategies to recruit and retain the best public safety professionals for our community.

***

As we work to protect the safety of our residents, it’s important that we stay focused on existential dangers such as our changing climate. As the world warms, Phoenix is bearing the brunt of extreme heat.

The Southwest has long led on the use of heat-resilient architecture, and examples of creative buildings can be seen throughout the city. We’re working to make our streets and neighborhoods more comfortable, too. Soon, we’ll celebrate 100 miles of Cool Pavement that reduces surface temperatures and makes for cooler nights.

We are weaving together a network of cool, safe walking paths throughout the city, especially in historically underinvested areas. Phoenix is partnering with American Forests to plant trees in areas of high pedestrian and transit use. These Cool Corridors will ultimately include manufactured shade and public drinking water access. To accelerate these solutions, private sector partners have stepped in and stepped up. Companies such as Aspiration, Salesforce, American Express, and iHeartMedia have contributed resources to cool our city.

These strategies have gone a long way to reduce urban temperatures – but we also need to meet the moment to support our most vulnerable. We need national action.

Heat causes more deaths each year than most other natural hazards combined – but right now, the categories of national emergency declarations that unlock additional resources do not include extreme heat. This should change.

That’s why I’m calling on FEMA to revise their Declared Disasters List to include extreme heat. Resources from pop-up shelters to additional outreach to our vulnerable residents could help us successfully navigate unforgiving summers.

In Phoenix, we’ve learned to convert our intense sunlight into opportunity.

Phoenix has more solar per capita than any other big city, earning us a spot among Environment America’s Solar Superstars. I don’t plan on that changing anytime soon.

To remain in the lead, we have to expedite and simplify how we review simple solar projects.

That’s why Phoenix started using Solar App. The app allows residents with straightforward plans to go through the review process electronically, in turn freeing up city staff to review more complex plans.

In less than a year, our pool of contractors has grown from 6 to more than 50. And because the app let city staff better focus their time, we slashed the review time for residential solar applications in half.

That's how the city is moving at the speed of business.

Expanding renewable energy is also key to improving our air quality, which is important to me as someone who grew up with asthma.

But securing better air quality in our region will require bolder action. And it isn’t optional – last year, the EPA downgraded the Valley's ozone pollution level from "marginal" to "moderate." And we’re at risk of being further downgraded. If we don’t act now to meet the federal standards, we will pay the price with heftier costs to economic development and poorer health outcomes for our residents.

In the simplest sense, something we can do is to bring life closer together. Building up, not out. Rethinking the conventional mode of construction – and the kinds of materials we’re using. Connecting different aspects of our economy in shared spaces – so that Phoenicians can easily access their work, the grocery store, or where their electric car is charging. Central Station – or what is now the large hole in the ground at Van Buren and Central, comes to mind as a perfect example. The redeveloped station will maximize the site’s potential by transforming it into a multi-level, mixed-use development with two residential towers, retail space, and seamless connection to bus and light rail services.

Around the Mayo Clinic’s continued development in north Phoenix, known as Discovery Oasis, we are seeing the cultivation of a flourishing biotechnology corridor. As construction continues, the city has ensured that the benefits are broadly available – so that people can access world-class medicine and services close to home.

Our leading legacy in the biosciences continues in Midtown with the revitalization of 3rd Avenue and Park Central. Today, I am excited to announce and celebrate the up-and- coming Phoenix Medical Quarter, a global center for Advancement of Health and Education.

Barrow Neurological Institute has been leading the way on top-notch medical care and will soon be opening a new research facility that will house clinicians and scientists working on the cutting-edge of regenerative neuroscience, robotics, and other next-generation technologies.

The most advanced research on topics ranging from Alzheimer's to brain tumors will continue happening right here in Phoenix. This is personally meaningful to me. My grandmother was diagnosed with dementia, and, very recently, a close friend of mine was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I have hope because of the incredible individuals who have made it their mission to save lives.

We are joined today by many leaders delivering on this vision: Barrow’s Dr. Michael Lawton and Dr. Brad Racette, and Creighton University’s President, Daniel Hendrickson. Thank you for all that you do for Phoenix.

To me, the Midtown corridor will stand as a cornerstone of the bioscience ecosystem in Phoenix. And its footprint will continue to grow. Today’s announcement is complemented by new additions throughout the city, including the expansion of Tufts and Alliant, as well as the University of Arizona Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies. Our emerging market has attracted global companies, too – we are so excited to soon welcome Arensia, a German convener of patients, medical providers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, here to Phoenix.

Altogether, these bioscience cores are not only providing state-of-art research and health-care delivery, but their campuses are enhancing the urban experience. Faculty, researchers, and patients alike enjoy shaded walkways, art displays, and key services not far from their care.

And this isn’t limited to north of the river. Discovery Oasis and the Phoenix Medical Quarter are inspirations for what we’re building in Laveen – a bustling corridor of high- wage, advanced-manufacturing and tech companies, supported by the strong workforce in the West Valley. We’ve already broken ground on nearly 400 acres of land specifically zoned for tech-related uses. That’s how we will guarantee that the diversification of our economy will continue along the Loop 202.

Now is the time to sow the seeds for more diverse and resilient economies throughout all parts of our city.

Let me return to the crux of sustaining our future: water.

As mayor, I’m fortunate to follow in the footsteps of leaders who have long understood the importance of sustainability and have laid strong foundations, including my predecessors, Congressman Greg Stanton and CAWCD President Terry Goddard. Thank you both for setting us on the path to success and for your continued work on this critical issue.

While we know there is no silver bullet to address the West’s aridification, our city has the tools needed to preserve our strong water supply for decades. We have done this by working to diversify our supply to avoid over-dependence on any one source and achieving a decades-long reduction in per capita use.

We’ve long been a net-positive contributor to groundwater, using only 2/3 of our allocation from the Colorado River and diverting the other 1/3 toward groundwater recharge. Looming cuts to our Colorado River supplies will squeeze us. While we will need to tap into this bank, we’re planning now to make sure this is only a temporary stopgap.

But new challenges require innovation to guarantee our continued economic prosperity, environmental security, and quality of life. And like I said at the beginning, to move forward, we must reflect on our roots. Water management has been a top priority throughout our existence, beginning with the Huhugam who dug our canals. Today, Phoenix continues its strong collaboration with tribal communities to protect our water resources and create flexibility in times of shortage.

As a fast-growing city, we must think more critically about adaptation. The City Council and I are hard at work to develop new Sustainable Development Standards for large users and require new residential projects to achieve EPA Water Sense or equivalent certification. The Verdin residential development in north Phoenix stands out as an example of a project that helped us set an impressive standard.

Achieving the EPA’s water efficiency certification, Verdin has shown us how to build better in the Sonoran Desert. Each home will save more than 44 thousand gallons per year compared to a traditional new build. That means, collectively, the homes in Verdin will use 55 million fewer gallons of water every single year than a standard subdivision. Even more significantly, their preservation of natural desert landscaping will save nearly 80 million gallons of water per year.

Phoenicians are not just looking out for ourselves – we understand our role in preserving the water security of the entire region. That’s why, on top of the multi-billion-dollar investment in our Advanced Water Purification Facility, we continue leveraging our relationships with the private sector – whether it’s installing water-leak sensors in apartments or retrofitting industrial cooling towers.

Our city is and will remain on the cutting edge of futuristic solutions for our most sophisticated challenges.

***

Last month, a young Phoenician said to me, “I don’t understand the people who complain about being born in the wrong time. I took a driverless car twice in the same day, and it was awesome. This is the best time.”

Well, Phoenix, now is our time. The Future is Phoenix, and the Future is everywhere we look:

In a TSMC manufacturing facility. In our affordable housing communities. On rooftops covered in solar panels. In community college classrooms. In the shade of a newly planted tree.

Regardless of what the future may hold – Phoenix is the city to watch. And we are ready to deliver.

Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Transcript: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego's 2023 State of the City