Phoenix is known as the "Valley of the Sun," while Tucson is
referred to as "The Old Pueblo." These nicknames epitomize the
difference in the public's perception of each city. Phoenix
continues to sprawl as one of America's largest and fastest-growing
cities. Tucson has witnessed a slower rate of growth, and has only
one quarter of Phoenix's population. This was not always the case.
Prior to 1920, Tucson had a larger population. How did two cities,
with such close physical proximity and similar natural environments
develop so differently?
"Desert Cities" examines the environmental circumstances that led
to the starkly divergent growth of these two cities. Michael Logan
traces this significant imbalance to two main factors: water
resources and cultural differences. Both cities began as
agricultural communities. Phoenix had the advantage of a larger
water supply, the Salt River, which has four and one half times the
volume of Tucson's Santa Cruz River. Because Phoenix had a larger
river, it received federal assistance in the early twentieth
century for the Salt River project, which provided water storage
facilities. Tucson received no federal aid. Moreover, a significant
cultural difference existed. Tucson, though it became a U.S.
possession in 1853, always had a sizable Hispanic population.
Phoenix was settled in the 1870s by Anglo pioneers who brought
their visions of landscape development and commerce with
them.
By examining the factors of watershed, culture, ethnicity, terrain,
political favoritism, economic development, and history, "Desert
Cities" offers a comprehensive evaluation that illuminates the
causes of growth disparity in two major southwestern cities and
provides a model for the study of bi-city resource competition.
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