Downtown Phoenix Partnership Services

Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors

A free service provided by the Downtown Phoenix Partnership since 2001, the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors provide concierge-style service to the public and are committed to providing the best downtown experience possible. The Ambassadors are on duty seven days a week, 365 days a year, and can do everything from provide directions to arrange walking tours to make dinner reservations. Plus, the Downtown Phoenix Ambassador Information Center, located on Adams Street between Central and 1st Avenues in the U.S. Bank Building, is staffed by an Ambassador from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. and contains a plethora of information, including maps, menus and more. For more information about the Ambassadors, go here.

The Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors also work very closely with the Phoenix Police and the 70-plus police officers and supervisors that make up the Downtown Operations Unit. Whether on bike, motorcycle or horseback, the Downtown Phoenix Police are easily identifiable, accessible and play a tremendous role in making Downtown Phoenix one of the safest locations in the city.

To get an even better idea of how valuable the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors are, just take a look at these 2008 statistics:

• The Ambassadors provided 78,643 citizen assists—this includes assisting the public with parking, events and restaurants. That's enough people to fill Chase Field and US Airways Center and then some.
• The Ambassadors removed graffiti 1,727 times and picked up trash 1,013 times in 2008, making the downtown area more than 2,700 times more beautiful.
• The Ambassadors also provided 1,338 walking escorts to folks in Downtown Phoenix. That's an average of nearly four times each day!

Advertising and Marketing

The Partnership's advertising and marketing efforts are designed to bring awareness to the uniqueness of Downtown Phoenix. As the urban heart of Arizona, the downtown area is a special place, and we communicate this message to the public in a number of ways–one of the biggest being this Web site. Here, we are cultivating a community forum highlighted by involvement and activity that also takes Downtown Phoenix into the future. In addition, we promote the distinctness of downtown through advertising campaigns and through our publications–the bimonthly calendar of events, the quarterly newsletter and the biannual business directory.

In addition to these endeavors, the DPP hosts monthly Advertising and Promotions meetings, which are open to all downtown stakeholders and are designed to help businesses take advantage of promotional opportunities.

Streetscape and Urban Design

Our streetscape program was developed to create an attractive and pedestrian-friendly downtown core, and includes three distinct components: the Clean Team, an extensive wayfinding system and a banner program.

Launched in 2007, the Clean Team pilot program is a partnership between the DPP, the City of Phoenix Street Maintenance Department and the Phoenix Opportunities Industrial Center (OIC). Clean Team participants spend part of their week in Downtown Phoenix removing graffiti, cleaning streetscape furniture, picking up trash and cleaning alleys. The remainder of their time is spent working alongside City Street Maintenance employees, where they gain experience with asphalt, concrete and landscaping. The Partnership also contributes to the beautification of Downtown Phoenix by planting shade trees and maintaining information kiosks, street furniture and waste receptacles.

Secondly, we have developed a comprehensive wayfinding system for Downtown Phoenix through a partnership with the City of Phoenix and an outside consultant. The directional signage system guides both vehicular and pedestrian traffic to destinations throughout the downtown core.

Last but not least, the DPP banner program is one of the most noticeable ways in which the Partnership helps to make the downtown area more attractive, while simultaneously increasing the visibility of events, conventions, performances and more. Through this program, we strive to:

• Add color and vitality to the streetscape
• Promote a diverse array of events, activities and attractions
• Welcome convention-goers, delegates and visitors to Downtown Phoenix

Transportation and Parking

We believe the accessibility and convenience of parking and transportation are key elements to Downtown Phoenix's success. This is why we provide up-to-the-minute traffic and security alerts to our stakeholders. We're in communication with key downtown agencies and organizations in order to provide our constituents with important information that impacts downtown. We're also a great source for parking information, including locations and rates. Twice a year, we conduct a parking inventory to ensure that our data is accurate and current.

The DPP also provides a variety of transportation related services, including the free Downtown Evening Express (the DEE), which runs Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., and monetary support for the Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH).

Economic Development

Business and economic development are important aspects of the Partnership's role in creating a vibrant city center. This is why we actively work to attract development, including housing, retail, hospitality and office space; work with the city's development services to streamline the development process; recruit new tenants to fill existing space; and track the availability of land and building space. Find expanded information on business and economic development in Downtown Phoenix.