Recently elected Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and architectural sustainability consultant Bill McDonough held a conversation with the downtown Phoenix community last month to figure out ways to put the empty lots that dot the city to work.

Zimmerman Diary has been operating in Arizona for nearly 90 years, but its long-lasting success doesn’t mean its third-generation owners haven’t had to innovate to survive along the way.

Facing rising costs, in March 2011 the Zimmermans installed a shiny new fixture they say will enable them to continue to stay in business regardless of electricity rates.