Describe what it looks like: - Lincoln Institute of Land ... · Describe what it looks like: _____ ... Grades 9-12 Video Worksheet / Part 1 ... with a fantastic view of the nearby

MAKING SENSE OF PLACE Phoenix: The Urban Desert

1 Grades 9-12 Video Worksheet / Part 1

Phoenix: A Statistical Overview

A Laboratory in the Desert:

♦ Population = 3.3 million people

♦ Area = _______ square miles

♦ Avg. high temperature = _____ degrees

♦ Avg. snowfall = none

♦ ______% population increase in the last ten years

♦ America’s _____th largest city. And growing. Fast!

Post-video Question #1 “If success were measured simply by growth, Phoenix would be one of the most successful cities in history.” Give 2 examples of Phoenix’s incredible growth. Explain how they illustrate Phoenix as “one of the most successful cities in history.” _________________________________________________________

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♦ It is now a ________________ of 25 separate, expanding cities.

Post-video Question #2 Look up the definition for metropolis in the Video Vocabulary List. Explain how the city in which you live fits, or

does not fit, this definition of a metropolis. _______________________

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List 2 other examples of metropolises located in the United States:

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♦ Looking at Phoenix offers us a window onto difficult conflicts that many cities face today: 1) Open Space vs. Development 2) Land Use driven by _______________ forces vs. by planning 3) The individual’s rights vs. the ___________________ interests. Post-video Question #3 Reflect upon the first conflict: Open Space vs. Development. Think of your school building as a development.

Where is the next closest open space area located? _______________

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Describe what it looks like: ___________________________________

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Is this open space manmade or natural habitat? __________________

♦ Alfredo Gutierrez – Arizona State Senator (1972-1986) “What made it possible to live here is bold and courageous public policy positions. I mean there were people who were prepared to build ________ and bring water from central Arizona and northern Arizona to Phoenix and move water around in huge amounts. “ Post-video Question #4 What limited natural resource is absolutely

necessary in order to build a city in the desert? ___________________



How Big, How Fast?

♦ Urban areas usually grow two ways – up or out. . . Phoenix has sprawled easily into the desert, maneuvering around nature’s barriers. Land on the _____________________ is cheaper, so that’s where development takes place. Post-video Question #5 How does “hyper-growth” and “land on the fringe” contribute to the acceleration of Phoenix’s urban sprawl? _________________________________________________________

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♦ After the war, air conditioning arrived in a big way and Phoenix

became a mecca for a huge _________________ of winter visitors. Post-video Question #6 After which war did AC became readily available to Phoenix residents? How did the invention of air conditioning encourage winter visitors to settle down and retire in Phoenix?

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♦ Sun City was opened on New Years Day _________ , as one of the first planned communities in Arizona, catering to the desires of retirees. ♦ Del Webb Corporation Spokesman – talking about Anthem “The Del Webb group isn’t in the subdivision business. We build communities. We provide an enhanced piece of shelter. You know, we’re not just four walls - it’s four walls plus a ________________.” Post-video Question #7 Both Sun City and Anthem are examples of planned communities based upon market research. Sun City was custom designed for retirees. For whom was Anthem custom designed?

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♦ Each time a new development like Anthem springs up, desert open space and habitat are lost. In addition, older communities may have to bear some of the _________________ of infrastructure development, like roads. Post-video Question #8 As communities are built further and further out on the fringe, infrastructure (such as roads, electricity, and water lines) must be installed across miles of desert. What % of the set-up costs for developing new infrastructure should the developer pay? What %, if any, should the taxpayers of surrounding communities, the new homeowner, or the local government be required to pay?

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♦ Edmundo Hidalgo – Chicanos Por La Causa “If you were to take away the whole Latino ____________ force, this community would just stop to a halt. Post-video Question #9 Cheap labor in the construction industry keeps profits high, which encourages developers to build, build, build. What immigrant group is providing this cheap labor?

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How Long Can It Continue?

The Fourteen Lane Freeway Just Add Water

♦ Professor John Meunier – Arizona State University

“The whole question about whether Anthem is a good or a bad thing is a question of ______________________. Are we destroying too much, or are we creating enough, as we continue these patterns of development? Post-video Question #10 List 2 pros (advantages) and 2 cons (disadvantages) of living in a planned community such as Anthem.

Pro #1 ___________________________________________________

Pro #2 ___________________________________________________

Con #1 __________________________________________________

Con #2 __________________________________________________

If you were a prospective homebuyer, would you choose to purchase a home in Anthem? Explain the reasoning behind your decision.

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♦ Sandy Bahr – Sierra Club “Well, we definitely like to build roads in the Phoenix area and we think that freeways will address traffic _______________________. But, there are years and years of experiences that show that if you build more freeways, you get more traffic.” Post-video Question #11 How has urban sprawl development contributed to both traffic congestion and air pollution in Phoenix?

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♦ Phoenix has very little water of its own, so it gets what it needs

from the Colorado River. Roughly _____________ of the water that travels down the Colorado ends up here. The cost of this process is federally and state subsidized – making water rates here among the lowest in the country. Post-video Question #12 The federal and state levels of government subsidize (support by financial assistance) water for Phoenix. If these water subsidies were removed, predict how this might negatively impact growth and land development in Phoenix?

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If these water subsidies were removed, predict how this might positively impact growth and land development in Phoenix?

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The Beautiful Desert

♦Tom Tucker – Walk Softly Tours “The Sonoran Desert is the second most diverse ecosystem on Earth. We have more plant and animal species here than anywhere else on Earth, except the ____________________________.” Post-video Question #13 What arguments might an environmentalist make against urban sprawl and for conserving the desert?

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♦ 3,300 new ___________________ per month.

♦ 150 lane miles of new _________________ each year.

♦ 1 acre of desert per _______________ lost to development.

Post-video Question #14 “For every 5 people who come to Phoenix, 3 leave.” Based upon what you’ve seen in this video, give 2 reasons why people are leaving Phoenix.

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Questions for Further Discussion

1) History Why would the idea of Phoenix as a “great city of the future” have been so unbelievable 100 years ago? (Hint: What was, or was not, available a hundred years ago, especially technology-wise?)

2) Economics Review the definition for Market Economic System, then analyze the following

statement: “The family planned community of Anthem is the natural result of the Market Economic System at work.” Your discussion should address the role and risks taken by Del Webb Corporation as the entrepreneur, how supply and demand for “resort-style desert living” relates to consumer choices, and how availability of cheap land and labor provide incentives for both buyers and sellers of real estate.

3) Civics / Government For the past 5 years, John Q. Citizen has lived on the desert’s edge

with a fantastic view of the nearby Superstition Mountains. Recently, the adjoining property was sold and new housing is under construction. John Q. investigates and discovers that this new walled community of one hundred two-story homes will completely block his beloved view of the Superstition Mountains. Have John Q. Citizen’s rights as a property owner been violated? What about the rights of the one hundred new homeowners in the walled community? Should the larger community’s interests (majority rule) of one hundred new homeowners take precedence over John Q’s interests (individual rights)?

4) Geography Water is the key to Phoenix’s transformation into a metropolis. Cheap water,

which is being federally and state subsidized, is adding to Phoenix’s hyper-growth. Why is it unrealistic to think that the water supply can keep up with Phoenix’s unlimited growth? Propose a public policy that would slow down growth and manage water in such a manner as to benefit the “common good.”



The Results You Want

Revaluing the Land

♦ The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) was originally founded over 35 years ago to assist cities in planning for common growth issues like waste management, water treatment, and public _________________________________.

♦ Regional planning will only work when individual _____________ equate their needs with the region’s needs. Post-video Question #1 How does MAG help the 25 municipalities that

make up Phoenix to work as a region? __________________________

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♦ When Arizona achieved statehood in 1912, the federal government granted it large parcels of land, with the understanding that they would be sold to fund_________________.

♦ Today, there are new funding sources for schools. In fact, less

than ______% of the educational budget comes from the sales of State Trust Lands. For many, saving the remaining desert is more important than selling it off for profit. Post-video Question #2 Why is native desert land no longer viewed as a

commodity or “dirt for sale?” __________________________________

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♦ Once relegated to reservations far beyond the outskirts of the city, Native American communities now find themselves bordered by expanding ___________________. Their land, initially thought to have little value, stands directly in the path of high stakes development.

♦ Hollis Chough – Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community “The contrasting world around our reservation does not under- stand the true Pima Maricopa traditional _______________ and the appreciation of Mother Earth. That’s what the Indian thinks about.”

♦ One of the most valuable areas they control is the Pima Corridor, an 8-mile long swath on the eastern border of Scottsdale. Worth hundreds of millions of dollars, they have already begun development, leasing land for a huge shopping mall next to the Interstate that runs through the _____________________________. Post-video Question #3 How has high stakes development of the Pima Corridor brought in money to improve life on the reservation?

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How does the Native American concept of “don’t take more than you need” oppose the idea of urban sprawl?

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Dream Street

♦ The American Dream, 60 years ago – a vibrant neighborhood,

right next to ________________________________.

♦ 150 empty lots . . . _____ miles from downtown.

♦The common wisdom among developers in Phoenix is that there’s more money to be made building on the edge of the desert than there is redeveloping communities in the urban ___________, particularly those populated by minorities and the poor. Some say it’s the way the market works . . . or doesn’t work. Post-video Question #4 Why is the current American Dream to own a home on the fringe, rather than in the urban core?

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♦ Citizens banded together to form grass-roots neighborhood alliances. They pressured elected officials and city planners to provide the incentives necessary to get their needs noticed and ______________________.

♦ Steven Estes – Community Excellence Project “And that became the dream and goals of the community – was to at least turn one street and develop one street. Make it an _______________________ for the rest of the streets.”

♦ Jim Hansen – Planner, City of Phoenix “The best thing a neighborhood can do to get their ideas, concerns, and issues on the table is that they have to organize. There has to be a body, there has to be a ____________________ voice. There has to be a crowd. And many of them, believe it, have been very effective in Phoenix.”

♦Both Garfield and Dream Street had been left behind, their deterioration the flip side of Phoenix’s remarkable growth. But strong voices from the community helped these neighborhoods recover their identities, revitalize their sense of ________________.

♦ A community is not just a plot of land defined by boundaries, or

lines on a map. It is a collection of ___________________________ focused on realizing common goals. Post-video Question #5 What is a “grass-roots neighborhood alliance?”

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How did the citizens of Dream Street and Garfield Street get local

officials to listen to their concerns? _____________________________

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What types of improvements were needed to revitalize these urban core

neighborhoods? ___________________________________________

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7

Lines in the Sand

Happy Campers

♦ Citizens and planners instead reversed this process by identifying and buying open space in advance of the impending development. They studied a 110 square mile area in North Phoenix, and created a plan to set aside ____________________ of it as open space.

♦ The Sonoran Preserve Master Plan saves __________________ and streambeds – the lifeblood of the desert – in addition to what was traditionally saved – the hillsides and mountaintops.

♦ James Burke – Deputy Director, City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation “We’re really trying to create a new kind of urban form in this area, where the _________________________ is here first and then we build a desert city, instead of just a city in the desert.” Post-video Question #6 How does the Sonoran Preserve Master Plan reflect a different attitude towards land use development?

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♦ A referendum was put before citizens. _____% voted to increase their own sales tax to raise funds to buy land for open space. Post-video Question #7 Refer to the Video Vocabulary List. Write

the definition for referendum: _________________________________

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How did citizens use the referendum process to change land use policy and establish a better quality of life for the future?

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♦ Pinnacle Peak is an example of the power of place, of people willing to work, persist, and eventually prevail on behalf of a larger community interest of simply enjoying _______________________.

♦ The developer installed a fence, making the peak inaccessible to the general public. Two new gated developments encircled the mountain – their residents worried that visitors to Pinnacle Peak would violate their_________________________. Post-video Question #8 Pinnacle Peak was originally a state trust land. When this Phoenix landmark was sold to developers, 180 acres was to be donated to the city of Scottsdale as public parkland. Explain why this

did not happen: ____________________________________________

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Whose rights did the developer and residents of Pinnacle Peak violate?

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Happy Campers (continued)

Conclusion: A Paradox in the American Dream

♦ Mary Mandross – Mayor, City of Scottsdale “So many people want to move here and it’s easy to make short-term profits and have a myopic vision about growth and development. Preservation and open space is about a long-term __________________. It’s about looking ahead generations.” Post-video Question #9 Refer to the Video Vocabulary List. Write the

definition for myopic: ________________________________________

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What consequences does “a myopic vision about growth and development” hold for future generations?

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♦ Paul Diefenderfer – Friends of Pinnacle Peak “We kept showing up at meetings; we kept writing letters and emails and showing up at city __________________ meetings, and just pestering them . . . and that took 7 years to straighten out.” Post-video Question #10 What compromise was eventually reached regarding public access to Pinnacle Peak?

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What lesson does Pinnacle Peak teach about citizen involvement in the political decision-making process? _________________________________________________________

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♦ . . . they, like so many other citizens, must resolve a paradox in the American Dream: Our desire to build the home of our dreams often puts at ________________ the very place we call home.

♦ James Garrison – State Historic Preservation Officer “I think this is a very basic problem in the United States is the commitment to how much of what I’m doing is in the community’s interest and how much of what I am doing is in my self-interest and how do we make those a __________________ situation.” Post-video Question #11 Describe a situation in which you sacrificed your own self-interest for the community’s interest (common good of the

larger group): _____________________________________________

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Describe a situation in which the individual’s self-interest should NOT

be sacrificed for the community’s interest: _______________________

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Answer Key / Post-Video Worksheet Grades 9-12 1

Post-Video Worksheet – Answer Key MAKING SENSE OF PLACE Phoenix: The Urban Desert

Directions: After viewing the video, use your Video Notes and Video Vocabulary List to help you answer the following questions. Questions 1-14 are based upon Part 1 of the video. Questions 15-30 are based upon Part 2 of the video. 1. “If success were measured simply by growth, Phoenix would be one of the most successful cities in history.” Give two examples of Phoenix’s incredible growth. Explain how they show Phoenix is a “successful city.”

Two examples of Phoenix’s incredible growth include the facts that: 1) Phoenix’s population has increased 45% in the last ten years and 2) Phoenix is America’s 6th largest city and still growing. Both these facts show that Phoenix has qualities (industries, affordable housing, mild climate) that have successfully attracted people to the region. 2. Look up the definition for metropolis in the Video Vocabulary List. Explain how the city in which you live fits, or does not fit, this definition of a metropolis.

Answers will vary. If the city fits the definition of a metropolis, then it should be part of a larger urban community. If the city does NOT fit the definition of a metropolis, then it should be a rural community, far removed from a major urban center. List two other examples of metropolises located in the United States:

Examples of U.S. metropolises include: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Dallas, San Antonio, Detroit, Indianapolis, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Boston, Baltimore, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Miami, Tampa, Denver, and Seattle. 3. Reflect upon the first conflict: Open Space vs. Development. Think of your school building as a development. Where is the next closest open space area located? Describe what it looks like:

Answers will vary. Open space areas should include areas where there has been minimal development of the land for urban purposes. Is this open space manmade or natural habitat? Answers will vary. Open space areas that are manmade could include empty undeveloped lots, golf courses, or parks. Open space areas that are natural habitat would include any areas that have been untouched by humans. 4. What limited natural resource is absolutely necessary in order to build a city in the desert?

The natural resource of absolute necessity for building cities in the desert is water. 5. How does “hyper-growth” and “land on the fringe” contribute to the acceleration of Phoenix’s urban sprawl? Land on the fringe is cheaper, thus massive numbers of people are attracted to move to Phoenix, which leads to runaway growth, also known as “hyper-growth.” 6. After which war did AC become readily available to Phoenix residents?

Air conditioning became readily available to Phoenix residents after World War II. How did the invention of air conditioning encourage winter visitors to settle down and retire in Phoenix? Air conditioning made living in the desert’s hot, triple digit summer temperatures bearable. This encouraged winter visitors to retire in Phoenix as it became possible to live comfortably year around. 7. Both Sun City and Anthem are examples of planned communities based upon market research. Sun City was custom designed for retirees. For whom was Anthem custom designed?

The planned community of Anthem was custom designed for families.


8. As communities are built further and further out on the fringe, infrastructure (such as roads, electricity, and water lines) must be installed across miles of desert. What % of the set-up costs for developing new infrastructure should the developer pay? What %, if any, should the taxpayers of surrounding communities, the new homeowner, or the local government be required to pay?

Answers will vary. Taxpayers of surrounding communities and the local government will also benefit from the new infrastructure, so perhaps they should pay a % of the cost? Also, if developers are required to pay 100% of the new infrastructure costs, then what will happen to the price of new homes? 9. Cheap labor in the construction industry keeps profits high, which encourages developers to build, build, build. What immigrant group is providing this cheap labor?

Migrant workers from Mexico provide most of the cheap labor for the construction industry. 10. List 2 pros (advantages) and 2 cons (disadvantages) of living in a planned community such as Anthem.

Pro #1 Recreation facilities and classes are conveniently located right there. Pro #2 Community facilities, ie. schools and shopping centers are located within Anthem.

Con #1 Long commute time to work, as Anthem is located 35 miles from central Phoenix. Con #2 Loss of natural desert habitat. If you were a prospective homebuyer, would you choose to purchase a home in Athem? Explain the reasoning behind your decision.

Answers will vary. 11. How has urban sprawl development contributed to BOTH traffic congestion and air pollution in Phoenix?

Urban sprawl spreads the population into the fringes. This requires more roads to be built, which increase traffic congestion. More cars create more air pollution. 12. The federal and state levels of government subsidize (support by financial assistance) water for Phoenix. If these water subsidies were removed, predict how this might negatively impact growth and land development in Phoenix?

If water subsidies were removed, LESS water would be available to residents of Phoenix. This would cause existing water rates to go up. Growth would be retarded because the costs of development (and daily living expenses) would go up, thus less people would be attracted to live in the Phoenix metropolis area. If these water subsidies were removed, predict how this might positively impact growth and land development in Phoenix?

One positive impact would be that due to the increased cost of water, urban sprawl would SLOW down, thus natural desert habitat would be preserved. There would also be less pollution due to a decreased population base. 13. What arguments might an environmentalist make against urban sprawl and for conserving the desert?

An environmentalist might argue that urban sprawl is destroying the rare and precious ecosystem known as the Sonoran Desert. Once it’s gone, it’s gone! Endangered species of plants and animals are in danger of becoming extinct, unless concrete efforts are made NOW to conserve the desert.


14. “For every 5 people who come to Phoenix, 3 leave.” Based upon what you’ve seen in this video, give 2 reasons why people are leaving Phoenix. People are leaving Phoenix because: 1) of increased traffic congestion and pollution due to urban sprawl and 2) people can no longer enjoy the beauty of the natural desert due to unchecked land development. 15. How does MAG (Maricopa Association of Governments) help the 25 municipalities that make up Phoenix to work as a region?

MAG helps the 25 municipalities to work together on regional growth issues such as waste management, water treatment, and public transportation in a coordinated way that will benefit everyone’s interests, not just ONE community’s interests. 16. Why is native desert land no longer viewed as a commodity or “dirt for sale?”

Native desert land is no longer viewed as “dirt for sale” because it is now valued as a beautiful and rare ecosystem that is in need of protection and conservation. 17. How has high stakes development of the Pima Corridor brought in money to improve life on the reservation?

The Pima Corridor is considered prime real estate on the eastern border of Scottsdale. The high stakes development (leasing land for shopping malls) has brought in millions of dollars to the reservation. This has allowed the Native Americans to fund schools, housing, and social programs to help their community. 18. How does the Native American concept of “don’t take more than you need” oppose the idea of urban sprawl?

The Native American concept of “don’t take more than you need” opposes the idea of urban sprawl because it teaches a deep appreciation and conservation for Mother Earth in its natural state. 19. Why is the current American Dream to own a home on the fringe, rather than in the urban core?

The current American Dream is to own a home on the fringe, rather than in the urban core because urban sprawl has invested money and developed neighborhoods out on the fringe. The urban core, or downtown areas, have been neglected and are thus areas of deterioration. 20. What is a “grass-roots neighborhood alliance?”

A “grass-roots neighborhood alliance” is a group of citizens from a neighborhood community who band together and speak with a united voice about their concerns and issues to public officials. 21. How did the citizens of Dream Street and Garfield Street get local public officials to listen to their concerns?

The citizens of Dream Street and Garfield Street organized into neighborhood alliances that voiced their communities’ concerns to public officials at city council meetings. What types of improvements were needed to revitalize the urban core neighborhoods of Dream Street and Garfield Street?

Types of improvements that were needed to revitalize these urban core neighborhoods included: programs to get rid of local crime and money to rebuild/improve existing homes. 22. How does the Sonoran Preserve Master Plan reflect a different attitude towards land use development?

One way in which the Sonoran Preserve Master Plan reflects a different attitude towards land use development is that desert flatlands, streambeds, and washes were bought ahead so that they will be preserved. Future communities will be built around these open spaces of natural desert habitat.


23. Refer to the Video Vocabulary List. Write the definition for referendum:

The form of direct democracy in which citizens of a state through gathering signatures can require that a legislative act come before the people as a whole for a vote. How did citizens use the referendum process to change land use policy and establish a better quality of life for the future?

80% of citizens voted to increase their own sales tax to raise funds to buy land for open space because they felt the conservation of natural desert habitat would protect it for future generations. 24. Pinnacle Peak was originally a state trust land. When this Phoenix landmark was sold to developers, 180 acres was to be donated to the city of Scottsdale as public parkland. Explain why this did not happen:

The developer installed fences around its two gated communities because the residents were worried that their privacy would be violated by citizens visiting Pinnacle Peak. 25. Whose rights did the developer and residents of Pinnacle Peak violate?

The developer and residents of Pinnacle Peak violated the general public’s rights to visit Pinnacle Peak, a right that was agreed upon BEFORE the land was sold to the developer. 26. Refer to the Video Vocabulary List. Write the definition for myopic:

Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning. What consequences does “a myopic vision about growth and development” hold for future generations?

A “myopic vision” may lead to a lesser quality of life if short-term profits lead to total development of natural desert lands. Future generations would be unable to enjoy the beauty of the rare Sonoran Desert ecosystem. 27. What compromise was eventually reached regarding public access to Pinnacle Peak?

The Pinnacle Peak compromise allowed for the peak to be reopened to the public during daytime hours. 28. What lesson does Pinnacle Peak teach about citizen involvement in the political decision-making process?

The lesson to be learned by the Pinnacle Peak incident is that citizens CAN change public policy if they voice their concerns in a persistent manner by attending city council meetings, sending letters and emails to public officials, and rallying with other like-minded citizens. 29. Describe a situation in which you sacrificed your own self-interest for the community’s interest (common good of the larger group): Answers will vary. 30. Describe a situation in which the individual’s self-interest should NOT be sacrificed for the community’s interest:

Answers will vary.

Documents

Describe what it looks like: - Lincoln Institute of Land ... · Describe what it looks like: _____ ... Grades 9-12 Video Worksheet / Part 1 ... with a fantastic view of the nearby