Great Sonoran

Achieving Minimum Visual Impact

About Recommendations and Ideas How to Contact

  About

In an effort to ensure retention of Scottsdale's special features, a group of citizens, designers and city staff gathered in 1996 and 1997 to discuss opportunities to for achieving minimum visual impact of built environment on the natural desert setting. Calling themselves the Great Sonoran, their discussions evolved into a statement of goals that seek to enhance building quality while respecting the unique Sonoran Desert.

Recommendations and Ideas

Listed below are the ideas and recommendations of the Great Sonoran.   The city hopes to incorporate these ideas into existing efforts in order to enhance and elevate our preservation efforts. These ideas begin with how development is oriented on the land, and extends into such details as the form and character of individual buildings. 

• Respect, protect and conserve the special features of the environment

• Blend with the natural shape and texture of the land

• Natural desert landscaping should be used as much as possible

• Design spaces that extend to the outdoors

• Maintain starry nights and dark skies with limited lighting

• Provide for meaningful natural desert open space

• All sides of buildings should be considered part of the character of the area

• Use Colors and materials that blend into the natural setting

• Emulate our rich and diverse southwestern architectural heritage

How to Contact

You can learn more about the Great Sonoran by contacting:

City of Scottsdale, Community Planning, 7447 East Indian School Road, Suite 320, Scottsdale, AZ 85250