Bemoaning the fast growth in the Valley has become as common as complaining about the summer heat. It beats living in a rapidly shrinking metropolis. Being in a community that attracts new residents, new business and new cultural amenities is a lot better than living in a place everyone wants to leave. Yet the debate continues because our blessing can easily become a curse.
Nobody wants to see the things they love about the Valley and Arizona vanish.
That's why concern about growth is beginning to produce action. The governor and the Legislature put together Growing Smarter II, which empowers communities to plan for growth. Meanwhile, the Sierra Club is backing a Citizens Growth Management Initiative, which would mandate growth plans and boundaries. Last Tuesday, Phoenix voters agreed to pay for expanded mass transit by adding buses and launching a light rail line. The enthusiam is spreading to other Valley communities, with Tempe and Scottsdale now talking about light rail, too.