By Russ Wiles | The Republic | azcentral.com
Phoenix wouldn’t look quite the way it does without John Driggs.
The two-term mayor, who remained committed to historical and environmental projects well after leaving office in 1974, has died at age 87. He was instrumental in preserving everything from open spaces to Victorian architecture but also was tarnished by his connection to one of the state’s most costly financial scandals.
His eclectic community interests ranged from mountain parks to a failed effort to build a high-energy physics supercollider in Arizona. He helped to organize or expand Phoenix Mountain Preserve, Echo Canyon Park and Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix, while revitalizing Papago Park and restoring Tovrea Castle.
