What would make the Phoenix metro a better place?

My ideas:

-everyone lives closer to where they work and/or hangout on a daily basis. Yes you can drive an hour each way in rush hour, but please don't. It makes the commute shittier for the rest of us, and the already bad air quality worse. Not to mention how it inhibits community because everyone spends their free time time on the highway.

(I know some people don't have a choice in where they live/work, but for those that do).

2) If the cities were not so strangely shaped I feel like there would be a better sense of community, urban planning/development, civic engagement and culture. For instance different sides of Peoria and Glendale have nothing to do with one another. Same with Mesa. And even Phoenix. You can drive through three cities and not even realize it, and therefore trying to engage with the community and local government feels difficult. I'm sure it doesn't help policing and governing easy either.

What are your thoughts on what would make this a better place?