The Peirce Report, Revisited: Reflecting on the Past to Shape Arizona’s Future

Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL) has officially released The Peirce Report, Revisited — a landmark update to the original 1987 report by journalist Neal Peirce that helped launch decades of civic dialogue and regional planning across the Valley.

Commissioned in honor of GPL’s 50th anniversary, the new report revisits the issues raised nearly four decades ago and examines how Greater Phoenix has evolved — and what lies ahead. From education and transportation to housing, environment, and civic leadership, The Peirce Report, Revisited identifies both the region’s progress and the complex challenges still facing Arizona’s future.

The updated report was developed by the Neal Peirce Foundation in partnership with GPL and Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), which contributed public opinion data and statewide insight. CFA’s research helped inform the report’s understanding of how Arizonans feel about the pace of growth, the quality of leadership, and the urgent need for long-term planning and public investment.

To mark the release, The Arizona Republic published a co-authored op-ed by Neal Peirce Foundation board members William Fulton and Christopher Swope alongside CFA Chair, President & CEO Dr. Sybil Francis. The op-ed offered reflections on how far the region has come and why collaborative, forward-thinking leadership is needed now more than ever.

CFA is proud to support this milestone project and help elevate a shared vision for a stronger, more resilient future.

Read the Op-Ed in The Arizona Republic.