Youthful Impact: Peter Ives

SFR recently met with a trio of Santa Fe Prep students—Alex Mazur, Vickie Hsin and Oliver Lehman, all 16—who are working with the Convergence Project, a teen-run organization dedicated to creating opportunities for youth. Both they and we were curious about how a town famous for catering to older demographics might impact a younger generation from a cultural aspect and how an incoming mayor might support existent or new initiatives.

SFR has presented the teens' findings over the last several days as we lead to the March 6 election day in Santa Fe. Candidates are presented in no particular order.

Last but not least, City Councilor for District 2, Peter Ives.

Arts and culture of Santa Fe seem to be directed towards an older demographic and tourism, which leaves many teens saying that there is little to do for them. So, what do you see that the city is doing to contribute to teen culture, and how would you support those programs?

When it comes to the creative economy, I don't think there are age boundaries. There are certainly many younger artists who are finding their home here in Santa Fe. There are challenges for not just young people but old people as well as a significant portion of our workforce in terms of housing issues, so that's been one issue I've been particularly involved over this past year. I've been trying to incentivize the private sector by allowing them to build two smaller additional dwelling units rather than a single larger one, keeping some of the pricing more reasonable.

I've been trying to stimulate continued development out in the Tierra Encantada, Paseo del Sol, etc. areas to hopefully construct more housing units, for not only single-family but also multi-family and apartment residences. Right now our apartment vacancy rates are extremely low, so it's almost impossible for anyone to find anything reasonable, which drives people away from Santa Fe, which we're trying to change. I've obviously supported and been a proponent all along of the Arts and Creativity Center out on Siler Road, where they're proposing some 70 new live-work spaces, trying to drive affordable pricing there so young creatives can find a place.

I have sponsored a resolution that passed and will be considered in this year's upcoming budget for graffiti walls, freeing wall space for young artists in that particular medium to express themselves and participate in the community. The Community Gallery is also another great space to encourage and incentivize young artists to participate through showcases.

The government is also increasing broadband across the city, investing a million dollars to up the speeds at the Railyard, which brought in some big players to extend service (CenturyLink, etc). We've changed our coordinates to allow some newer, smaller, and less intrusive antennas that will be the backbone of the 5G system to be introduced, which is going to be available to all of the economy with faster internet speeds, which is important to not only anyone participating in the economy, but also if you're involved in digital media or film especially. We're looking at the Santa Fe University of Arts and Design, which is trying to maintain a higher education presence with emphasis on digital media and film, which I think are businesses that would thrive in Santa Fe as well as attract a lot of younger people into the economy, because we live on our devices, do we not?
We're making sure that public libraries have accessible Wifi so that students can do work, not just school work but also participants in the Internet community. We're also trying to redo some of our soccer fields and sports areas. The Homework Diner and things of that sort are examples of places where teens can gather to do what they need to do in terms of school, as well as the many after-school and mentorship programs we have for students that I'd like to see be expanded upon.

What programs or initiatives would you create that would support and improve teen culture in Santa Fe? How would you fund those programs?

I'm actually a singer, so I would love to find more venues for students to engage with our local arts groups in ways that they can invite youth to participate in projects and be interns of these art spaces. We're also looking at developing collaborative art spaces, opportunities for people to work with others, which is a great way for teens to engage with the processes and business of art, for instance.

I also know that there are a lot of institutions, such as the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, that have programs where they teach youth and others various art forms, so collaborating with these organizations to ensure the availability of more youth-oriented programs would be something the city government can play a vital role in to broadcast and promote to the people of Santa Fe, as well as create connections between these organizations and schools.

For sports, we're looking at ways to improve the fields for sports teams to make sure that they aren't a liability as opposed a safe space for people to play sports, so we're also trying to improve our parks, not just for kids but also families to use as enjoyable recreational spots. We've also funded a lot of programs in public schools that reach out to high-risk youth at any age to make sure that they have opportunities to address the issues that exist, with people stationed in schools that reach out to the youth and their families to resolve these issues and meet whatever needs they may have.

For youth who might not necessarily be on an academic track, I think it would be great to expand on programs that help them learn skills that can be applied in the workforce, as well as connect them with various specialized organizations for interested youth to be able to intern and have some real-world experience.

What did you do as a teenager in your free time?

A. I grew up as the son of a college professor, and, as a teenager, I was a good athlete. I wrestled in high school and did track and field, even holding the javelin record at my school for many years. I spent a lot of time in sports, but I also studied a lot, as I attended a preparatory school. I also participated heavily in Boy Scouts as well, and through that I spent a lot of time backpacking with my friends along the Appalachian Mountains during the summer, rock climbing at various locations. Being a singer, I participated in glee club and a close harmony group at my school, as well as in the musicals sponsored by my school. It was a busy time, just as it is now.

For Ron Trujillo's resonses, click here.

For Kate Noble's responses, click here.

For Joseph Maestas responses, click here.

For Alan Webber's responses, click here.