Once Upon A Time
By D. Santiago
Once upon a time, there were
people who lived in a desert. These people enjoyed unobstructed scenic
views, beautiful clear sunny days, and the feel of a small town in the
Midwest. No, this is not the start of a typical children’s bedtime story. It
simply describes Scottsdale twelve years ago. Now, it seems like a fairy
tale.
1994
In 1994,
I moved to Scottsdale to thaw out from the harsh Canadian winters and pursue
the American dream. Scottsdale had a population of one hundred thousand and
was considered one of the best cities in the country to live in.
There were clean,
unobstructed views of the entire Valley. Walks around the neighborhood were
frequently stopped to watch the javelina and to listen to the distinctive
sounds of a rattlesnake. Nights were soothed by the seemingly orchestrated
sounds howling coyotes and chirping crickets. Now a brown haze, automobiles,
and the constant hum of air conditioners are the sights and sounds we
encounter.
What Happened?
So what happened? Was it the
explosive population growth caused by cheap and affordable housing? Or is it
just a case of poor planning; governments rushing to satisfy the needs of
the rapidly growing, ever-demanding population? Whatever the cause, the
fact remains that the desert landscape that has made Scottsdale unique is
fading away.
One can point to numerous
reasons why so many people have relocated here: inexpensive housing in
relation to the rest of the country, the weather, employment opportunities.
The list goes on and on. With increases in population comes an increase in
the demand for housing. What was once a beautiful scenic view of the
McDowell Mountains and Pinnacle Peak has literally turned into a sea of
houses. It didn’t have to happen had proper planning been done; but then
again, money talks. How many millions of dollars were in the sale of public
land to developers? Had this been curbed, Scottsdale would have been able to
retain its uniqueness instead of blending in with rest of the Valley.
Los Angeles Reborn
The sad part to all this is
that we are becoming another Los Angeles, spread out and heavily dependent
on the automobile. Gas prices recently were above the three-dollar mark, and
yet the abundance of SUVs on the road did not decline. They’re built for
off-roading, yet another plus for the environment. But seriously, have you
ever seen a dirty Hummer in this city? It’s a challenge to be known as the
“Valley of the Sun” when a brown haze hangs over the place.
The rest of the world laughed
at our complaining about high gas prices. Convert our prices into liters,
the metric equivalent of the gallon, and our gas prices are significantly
cheaper. Our friends and family who came to visit us from Canada needed a
week to overcome the shock of the prices. But then again maybe attitudes are
changing, albeit heavily influenced by high oil prices. There is a high
demand for hybrid cars. Sales are falling at the big three automakers due to
slow demand for SUVs and their inability to produce a quality small car.
Bad Habits, Poor Designs
The dependence on the
automobile is still strong. There are steps to build a mass transportation
system, but these are just baby steps. It is a start, as is the development
and demand for cleaner cars such as hybrids and other alternative fuel
sources. Yet, we’ll pay for a monthly gym membership to keep in shape, but
we’ll circle a parking lot for five minutes to look for a parking spot close
to the door instead of just parking the car and using the cheapest form of
exercising, walking. Then again you could blame it on architectural design.
Take the popularity of
Kierland Commons shopping area as an example. It is highly popular because
of its design, not just its shops. Park your car once and do your shopping.
No need to park, shop in a couple of stores, and then drive and park again
to shop another store. Indian Bend Shopping Pavilions is a great example of
bad design. Great stores, but to reach most of them, one has to drive. It is
just too far to walk from one store to another, especially in the summer.
Why can’t more developers follow Kierland Commons in their designs of their
shopping centers?
Then again is this all
because of human nature? The typical American attitude need for bigger and
better materialistic things, the “our house and car are bigger than yours
mentality,” and hurrying everywhere just to save a few minutes.
Outdated Practices
Talks of water conversation
surprise some people even though we do live in a desert. Yet, with the
abundance of sunny days, solar power use is surprisingly lagging behind the
rest of the country. Housing prices are beginning to rise. No-burn days are
becoming frequent as we try to preserve our air quality. Why have
fireplaces? But housing developers continue to offer them in new homes.
Big Lessons for Little
Ones
Whatever the answers, if
there are any, Scottsdale is no longer the city it once was. It’s literally
grown up and faces the problems of larger cities. If we can’t find answers
soon, what will the results be? The scenic views of the McDowell Mountains
and Pinnacle Peak are now littered with houses. The coyotes, javelina, and
rattlesnakes are sadly disappearing. Wait, hasn’t this already happened?
Environmental quality of life, who needs it anyway? I’ve got my big house.
I’ve got my nice big SUV to relax in while I sit in traffic. And I’ve got
that nice brown cloud to help shade me from those sunny days. I’ve also got
bedtime stories about the days that once were to tell the little ones.
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