Town of Gilbert

Town of Gilbert

2023 – 2024

Ranked as the 2nd Safest City and 22nd Best Place to Live in the country, the Town of Gilbert is currently home to over 250,000 residents. Since its incorporation in 1920, the Town has grown into one of the fastest growing communities and the largest Town in the United States. With roots as one of Arizona’s agricultural communities, the Town is now a thriving and economically-diverse suburban community with a nationally ranked K-12 education system and a growing STEM industry.

As Gilbert approaches build-out in the next decade, the Town is committed to uphold its reputation as being clean, safe, and vibrant while continuing to provide high-quality services to its residents and community.

Gilbert projects

Regional collaboration

Taught by Daniel Schugurensky, graduate public affairs students explored collaboration and partnership best practices locally and globally, identified successful agreements to provide exemplars for future opportunities, and provided recommendations to galvanize impactful regional collaboration around solid waste services. 

Graduate public affairs students explored collaboration and partnership best practices locally and globally to provide recommendations to galvanize impactful regional collaboration around solid waste services.

Exploring Regional Opportunities for Collaboration & Partnerships

Roadmap for Regional Collaboration on Solid Waste

Communication campaigns

Graduate students proposed content and formats for communicating waste messaging to a variety of resident audiences, as well as propose methods to effectively distribute this information throughout the Town of Gilbert.

Solid Waste and Stormwater Contamination Campaigns

Waste diversion

Capstone students collaborated with the Town of Gilbert Environmental Services to design and recommend opportunities for innovative waste diversion and value creation processes.

Students explored and identified creative and economically viable solutions to reuse, recycle, or upcycle materials and resources.

Master of Sustainability Leadership (MSL) students researched and compiled solid waste management best practices to inform the Town’s Solid Waste Master Plan.

Opportunities for Innovative Solid Waste Planning and Management

Strategies for Cultivating Circular Economy Solutions

Designing Innovative Waste Stream Diversion Opportunities

Fleet optimization

Undergraduate students studying transportation engineering collaborated with the Town of Gilbert to leverage data from the Environmental Services Division to evaluate and propose opportunities for increased efficiency and optimization in current and future systems.

Solid Waste Fleet & Equipment Optimization Strategies

City of Apache Junction

Nestled at the foot of the Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction is strategically positioned as the eastern gateway into the Greater Phoenix metro area (Valley of the Sun) and the western entry to the Tonto National Forest’s recreation venues.

City of Glendale

Incorporated in 1910, the city of Glendale was initially a small, farming town that grew into a prosperous city with a bustling downtown. Known as “Arizona’s Antique Capital” due to the large number of antique shops in its downtown corridor, Glendale’s past remains visible with many historic buildings and popular public events.

City of Peoria

Ranked as the No. 1 place to live in Arizona by Money Magazine and the only Arizona city named as one of the best cities in the U.S. by Yahoo! Finance, the city of Peoria is currently home to more than 171,000 residents. The city enjoys a reputation as a family-oriented, active community with an exceptional quality of life.

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