The opportunity to create a modern city that meets the complex needs of a dynamic population is very rare.

Last Tuesday, voters seized that opportunity by approving propositions that secure funding for the development of the downtown Phoenix campus of Arizona State University. That vote is a defining moment for all who call the region home and a vital step toward building a great university and transforming downtown Phoenix into a great metropolitan center.

This decade is perhaps the most crucial in the history of ASU, representing a period of unprecedented growth and change for one of the nation's largest universities. The New American University now emerging at ASU is characterized by excellence, impact and inclusion, and the new downtown Phoenix campus will allow us to advance the broad educational interests of business, government, non-profit organizations and individuals living and working in the area.

The campus will lend critical mass to other educational and cultural institutions locating downtown. Because the colleges and schools on this campus will focus on the public mission of ASU, our capacity to serve the many diverse communities of the metropolitan region will be enhanced.

We appreciate the endorsement and support of Phoenix voters. ASU is a public asset that belongs to all the citizens of Arizona, and its progress to date is the result of the effort and dedication of the many constituencies it serves.

All of us at ASU are committed to improving the quality of life in our metropolitan region. The evolution of the downtown campus will bring that commitment to fruition and allow us to provide future generations with a prosperous and vibrant urban environment in which to live. - Michael Crow, Tempe
The writer is president of Arizona State University.