All Around Phoenix, Arizona

[editor]

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[TheNiche]

Phoenix has some very interesting individual buildings, but their skyline doesn't have any balance to it, and nothing except for the brown building on Camelback Rd. with curved edges really even has a tendency to 'pop' in skyline photos.

[sowanome]

Thanks for the pics, Phoenix is one of my favorite cities!!! honestly, there's nothing like natural landscape of the mountains, etc.....

[editor]

This was my first visit to Phoenix, and i was really surprised by what I found. For all you hear about Phoenix, it's not that big a town. It's mostly suburbs. Kind of like Milwaukee with sand instead of snow.

There are a TON of great buildings from the 30's and 40's that have survived simply because there hasn't been a need to tear them down since there's so much space to expand. The city should make an effort to try to preserve them. They're the kind of time capsules that are quickly vanishing from the American architectural landscape.

But Phoenix doesn't appear too interested in preserving its heritage. The Westward Ho hotel (the one with the big TV transmitter plopped on top) is now Section Eight housing. And the big downtown city park, Patriots Square Park, is being bulldozed for private office buildings.

[TheNiche]

This was my first visit to Phoenix, and i was really surprised by what I found. For all you hear about Phoenix, it's not that big a town. It's mostly suburbs.

Yep, nearly all the employment growth is in the suburbs. Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Avondale.

Phoenix does have pretty substantial barriers to growth, however, on account of that indian reservations, the Tonto National Forest, BLM lands, and State-owned lands really hem it in. Compound that with increasing concerns over the water supply, and Phoenix may have some big issues to deal with going forward.

[crunchtastic]

Yep, nearly all the employment growth is in the suburbs. Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Avondale.

Phoenix does have pretty substantial barriers to growth, however, on account of that indian reservations, the Tonto National Forest, BLM lands, and State-owned lands really hem it in. Compound that with increasing concerns over the water supply, and Phoenix may have some big issues to deal with going forward.

Water, it's the new oil. My friends accuse me of overreacting, but it is the single biggest reason I woudn't live in the southwest. I love the landscape, though.

[editor]

Water, it's the new oil. My friends accuse me of overreacting, but it is the single biggest reason I woudn't live in the southwest. I love the landscape, though.

You're not the only one who thinks so. I remember reading a Stephen King story back in the 80's called The Jaunt. There was a mention in the story that the oil companies eventually diversified into water delivery. Specifically mentioned was Shell Water & Oil.

[swtsig]

You're not the only one who thinks so. I remember reading a Stephen King story back in the 80's called The Jaunt. There was a mention in the story that the oil companies eventually diversified into water delivery. Specifically mentioned was Shell Water & Oil.

t. boone pickens is diversifying heavily into water right now... he's purchased all sorts of riparian rights throughout Texas and joklahoma.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Phoenix is also dominated by a lot of post-modern and 70s era buildings. It really dominates their public facilities. They didn't seem to get in on the brutualist movement as much but they did let the 70s miss them either.