Rising Tides in South Phoenix
Cholla Express: March 2021
Southern Phoenix is divided physically from northern Phoenix by the Salt River and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. It’s guarded on the southern edge by South Mountain. The western boundary approaches the newly-built Loop 202 extension around 59th avenue. The eastern edge is probably the I-10 freeway as it bends south near 48th street and Broadway.
Historically, southern Phoenix has been poorer than northern Phoenix. The dichotomy has been present from the foundation of the city. Flood patterns were such that the northern parts of the city were more desirable for settlers, and thus became the parts of town where wealthier Anglos would plant their roots. As the city grew, discriminatory housing and banking policies prevented city-wide racial integration and stifled upward economic mobility for minorities who lived in southern Phoenix. City services were said to be less dependable south of the river than they were in the ever-expanding Phoenix suburbs.
Despite these challenges, South Phoenix developed a vibrant culture, as described by long-time residents to the South Phoenix Oral History Project. I’ve only briefly clicked through these oral histories, but I’ve already heard about educational ventures, supportive social networks, community activism, and beautiful gardens.
Looking forward, the story of the next decade of South Phoenix is likely to be one about economic growth and gentrification.
There are several signs of this happening:
First, there is a light rail extension being constructed along Central Avenue from downtown Phoenix to Baseline Road. This rail line should be completed and operating within four years. The extension will likely cause newer businesses and residential complexes to move in and build up along the rail line into South Phoenix.
Second, developers are breaking ground on a new project along the southern bank of the Salt River around 7th Street. As proposed, the 85 acre site will eventually be home to a produce market, educational spaces, an office park, and an agri-food research center. The project hopes to bring 1,400 new jobs to the area.
Third, new housing complexes are popping up everywhere around South Mountain. One notable example: a developer is building luxury homes designed to attract high-income earners who might otherwise be home shopping in Scottsdale. Even in the more central parts of South Phoenix, it’s easy to find newly renovated homes on sale, a result of investors taking advantage of rising home prices across the Valley.
These developments raise the typical questions of gentrification.
What will happen to those whose incomes don’t increase as much as the costs of living?
Just down the street from the luxury homes being built into South Mountain, there are trailer parks and aging apartment buildings. If these lands are purchased for re-development, where will the current residents move?
The light rail construction poses a major problem for local businesses along Central Avenue. They face a double-whammy of four years of heavy construction, combined with likely rent increases after the completion of the light rail. There are city programs and non-profits offering assistance, but what will happen to the people whose businesses don’t make it?
The hope is that rising tides will lift all boats. The fear is for those who will be left under the surface.
The Salt River development project offers a glimpse into another big question: How will economic development impact the culture of South Phoenix?
Originally, the 85 acre land was envisioned by local community leaders as the Plaza de las Culturas — a site that would celebrate the local culture and serve as a community hub for South Phoenix residents. Local planners were in talks with schools, businesses, residential builders, hospitals, and churches to serve the holistic needs of the community. The original vision of the project was informed by feedback from over 12,000 local residents.
In a 2016 interview about the Plaza de las Culturas, Tom Espinoza of the Raza Development Fund described the thinking of the project: “The crucial thing here is that it is a development that does not want to be gentrified in the sense that it is just a real estate project where you come in to try to maximize a return.”
Espinoza articulated that, yes, the project did intend to make a return on investment, but the primary goal of the project was bigger than that. It was primarily about cultural celebration and community well-being. Tenets and development partners were going to be chosen with that end in mind.
The original project apparently got bogged down with environmental issues about cleaning up the land, which had been owned by a cement manufacturer.
This past summer, the land was purchased by a new developer. The developer is aware of the old project’s vision and is trying to connect with some of the partners of the old project as they break ground.
Time will tell what kind of space emerges on the southern banks of the Salt River, as time will tell how economic growth will change the community of South Phoenix.
If there’s a sure thing, it’s that during whatever economic growth happens, community leaders will emerge to help retain the historic culture of South Phoenix and to help support local residents who can’t stay afloat on their own.
What’s Next for Education?
A few days ago, Governor Ducey issued an executive order mandating all schools provide in-person learning by March 15th. I’m OK with the order — most of the online holdouts in Arizona were already planning their return to in-person learning. At this stage of the pandemic, given what we know, I think it’s reasonable to expect all public schools to offer in-person instruction. Teachers can get the vaccine; parents can choose virtual schooling if they want.
My concern is not with the in-person part of the order, but with the fact that a significant number of students are likely to remain online.
Covid is not going away entirely. School funding is dependent upon enrollment numbers. Let’s say 15% of students opt for virtual instruction through the 2022 school year. Is every public school going to keep offering online schooling? Is every public school teacher now expected to teach both in-person and online classes?
From my one year of experience as an online teacher, I will say that the modality demands a much different approach than in-person teaching. There’s less attention you can expect of students at any given moment. There’s more responsibility on the student to engage independently. The minutes of “live” or synchronous instruction are less effective, especially because students can’t control the schedules of their family members. If I were in charge of a strictly online curriculum, I would limit the synchronous instruction and design modules where students can engage with the content on their own timetables. Set up office hours for those who need more guidance. If teenagers want to do their coursework from 9 pm until 1 am, more power to them.
If you are teaching in person, you want to engage the class in a tangible experience. You want to focus on the learning environment, which is a fragile ecosystem of personalities. What you absolutely don’t want to do is turn away from the real students in front of you and peer into a computer screen to make sure your online students are still listening.
My concern is that schools will feel the need to offer these dual modalities, and therefore teachers will be expected to deliver both online and in-person instruction at the same time.
This is something that nobody should want. It’s a recipe for worse instruction across the board. It’s a recipe for frustrated students giving up on school. It’s a recipe for teachers quitting the profession at even higher rates than normal. It’s just not feasible.
So I’m curious what schools will do. In the short-term, it would make the most sense to put all the online learners in one class if possible, and to keep the in-person students learning in a class designed for them alone. At least that way teachers are focusing on one type of learning per class period. Long-term, if online schooling becomes more normal, it would make sense for specialized online schools to emerge, offering high-quality instruction. Not the cookie-cutter, tech-company-designed online coursework currently available, but instruction tailored to students and facilitated by actual teachers.
Historical Photo of the Month
Phoenix Municipal Stadium is usually for baseball, but it’s currently operating as a Covid vaccine distribution center. I drove there recently to receive my second dose.
The stadium, which sits across from the Papago Mountains, was the long-time spring training home of the Oakland Athletics. Phoenix Muni is now home to the ASU Sun Devils.
The picture is of famed home-builder and real estate developer Dell Webb, standing center frame.
I couldn’t find much about the construction of the stadium except for this picture and a Wikipedia citation listing Webb’s company as the contractor for the 1964 project.
Photo Citation: Del E. Webb Corporation Photographs, Arizona Collection, Arizona State University Libraries
Cholla of the Month
This picture was taken on a hike in the Estrella Mountains, located in the southwestern Valley about 25 miles west of South Mountain. It’s not the most spectacular of scenery, but it’s spacious and uncrowded. At the base of the mountain, they have a park with picnic tables, playgrounds, and fields. There are several trailheads across the rolling mountains. Camping is also available. Because it’s a regional park, it costs $7 for vehicle entry.
Final Thoughts
The delivery dates for these newsletters are creeping towards the middle of the month, but I remain committed to publishing monthly — at least until the summer. I’ve considered experimenting with format and frequency, but I would of course notify readers of any format changes beforehand.
As always, I welcome your feedback, so feel free to write a comment on these posts. If you “reply” to the email, it will show up in my inbox.
Cholla Express is approaching one full year of publication. If you missed a previous issue, Click Here to visit the archives.
Thanks for reading! I will see you sometime in April.
This last picture here was taken in downtown Phoenix around Christmastime:
