A mockup of the "windmill" shade canopy that will be placed at Fifth and Jefferson streets. Photo: Courtesy of Downtown Phoenix Inc.
Walking in downtown Phoenix in the summer soon won't be so brutally hot, as six new shade structures are set to go up along high-traffic walkways by the end of the year.
Why it matters: The structures,which are being installed by Downtown Phoenix Inc. and paid for by a $200,000 grant from public utility APS, aim totake the edge off of what can be a deeply uncomfortable and even dangerous summer stroll.
How it works: Canopies will be made of "commercial-grade shade fabric," per a press release. Washington and Jefferson streets will get three each, Downtown Phoenix Inc. president and CEO Devney Majerle tells Axios.
Along with the Phoenix Revitalization Corporation, Downtown Phoenix Inc. conducted "heat walks" around the area to determine the spots that most needed shade.
The organization also has a "digital twin" of downtown that shows what "shade cover from buildings will look like at different points in the day," Majerle says.
The structures will also be lit at night so that anyone in downtown at night "will have that kind of beacon of light to walk towards and be able to utilize and feel safe."
💭 Zach's thought bubble: I had to walk a mere three blocks through downtown earlier this week and felt like I needed to change clothes after. These shade structures will be welcome.
