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Professor and political wonk Luke Garrott is fond of saying he played midfielder in soccer, meaning he's "been known for seeing the field well and distributing the ball."

Call it a metaphor for his unapologetic progressive politics.

It also serves the Salt Lake City councilman well, considering he doesn't have to play any defense.

Garrott is running essentially unopposed for a second District 4 term to represent downtown and central city. His declared opponent, Jack Gray, has been a campaign no-show and has not responded to multiple interview requests. Records show Gray has $3.07 in his campaign account.

Garrott, on the other hand, has raised nearly $6,000 for his re-election bid, according to campaign finance disclosures. He has $1,700 left.

The Chicago transplant, who teaches political theory at the University of Utah, has preached community building and urban redevelopment — rather than sprawl — during his first term.

Asked about his highlights in office, he cites leading the "complete streets" codification, which requires engineers to design new roadways with an equal nod to pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. Garrott also is proud of his sidewalk snow-removal law, support for The Leonardo, funding for small-business districts and a rezoning push to allow bars in certain residential mixed-use zones.

He also takes pride in leading the charge against some high-profile ideas: namely placing the public safety building on Library Square (it's going across the street instead) and a proposal to develop the city's vast Northwest Quadrant. That acreage recently was sold by the LDS Church to Kennecott, and Garrott predicts any commercial-development plan there is now "dead."

"The political opposition from the community was not unimportant," he says.

Gray ran for the District 4 seat in 2007, placing fifth with 72 votes. A website lists him as "Utah's leader" of the American National Socialist Workers' Party.

The one time that Gray did appeared at an event with Garrott — a candidate forum to debate poverty and homelessness — the challenger said he would be a "new voice" on the council with "all kinds of new ideas." Gray did not elaborate.

If re-elected, Garrott says he will focus on bicycle legislation, and its enforcement, beyond just more bike lanes. But key to that is establishing a balance with automobiles and pedestrians.

Garrott wants to improve the experience of pedestrians in the downtown business district "so they don't feel menaced by bikes on sidewalks." That may mean issuing traffic tickets to cyclists and perhaps requiring bells on bikes.

He also would contemplate bike registration and push more rider-education programs. "Being a cyclist, I can understand sometimes why motorists feel they are being treated unfairly," he says. "I think it's important we strengthen our social contract on the streets with some clear rules."

Garrott is equally excited about further advocating community gardens and small-scale urban agriculture. He wants to see redevelopment areas host pocket parks and community gardens. And he opposes moving the People's Portable Garden on 200 West near the 900 South TRAX station without a replacement. Public gardens, he maintains, "are great builders of social health and physical health."

A fan of Chicago's vibrant neighborhoods, Garrott hopes to bolster business zones in neighborhood commercial districts. He may run for council leadership to ensure action.

Mitigations must be in place, he says, to police smells, noise, parking, smoking and such — which should be addressed in the city's business-licensing process. He likes the idea of storefronts with residences above and supports a "gentle intensification around transit."

But, Garrott adds, too many areas are "over-zoned" — think central city, east central and 9th & 9th — and could be simplified to stabilize neighborhoods.

In the mid-1990s, Garrott notes, historic-preservation fans were very effective in protecting neighborhoods from commercial creep.

"Fifteen years later, we've changed the conversation. We want walkability and that means robust neighborhood commercial zones," he says.

"I'm much less concerned about commercial creep if we can define the boundary."

Garrott also favors zoning updates that responsibly address density in anticipation of streetcars. "We finally got it right with North Temple." djensen@sltrib.com —

Luke Garrott (i)

Family • Single, no children. Lives in Trolley Square neighborhood

Education • Bachelor of arts in Latin American studies, Stanford; master's degree and doctorate from University of Florida in political science.

Career • Professor of political theory and community studies, University of Utah.

Interesting fact • Fantasy football junkie (meaning soccer) who follows the English Premier League and checks updates multiple times a day.

Jack Gray

Background unknown. (Did not respond to repeated interview requests.)

Lives just east of Trolley Square.

Has $3.07 in campaign account.