When will Mesa surpass Tucson in population

[jjbradleynyc]

I think Mesa passes Tucson in 5 years. Mesa is growing faster than Tucson, on the whole.

Mesa needs to build up a downtown better--a few highrises and more defined density, etc. I understand it is really a huge suburban area, but to be fast approaching 550,000 people, it is on par with some of the largest cities in the US, but looks and feels like a suburb of maybe 50, 60k downtown.

[ShampooBanana]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

I think Mesa passes Tucson in 5 years. Mesa is growing faster than Tucson, on the whole.

Mesa needs to build up a downtown better--a few highrises and more defined density, etc. I understand it is really a huge suburban area, but to be fast approaching 550,000 people, it is on par with some of the largest cities in the US, but looks and feels like a suburb of maybe 50, 60k downtown.

Yes Mesa is big (mostly due to it's sheer amount of land area) and bigger than a lot of major US cities in population, but it is not and never has been the primary center of a metro area like most cities of comparable size. Here Phoenix has always played that role. Thus given it's status as a "bedroom community" for the most part it never had to develop a major downtown and likely never will to any appreciable degree.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by ShampooBanana

Yes Mesa is big (mostly due to it's sheer amount of land area) and bigger than a lot of major US cities in population, but it is not and never has been the primary center of a metro area like most cities of comparable size. Here Phoenix has always played that role. Thus given it's status as a "bedroom community" for the most part it never had to develop a major downtown and likely never will to any appreciable degree.

Another reason Mesa doesn't have (and likely never will have) a thriving downtown is its close proximity to Tempe, which is pretty much the urban center of the east Valley. In fact, Tempe's downtown has grown vertical and denser in the last few years that it actually competes with downtown Phoenix as far as jobs, events, and nightlife. Also because Tempe is landlocked, there really is no other way it can grow except inward & upward ... whereas Mesa has enough vacant land in some areas that it can still grow outward, despite its large population.

[yukon]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

I think Mesa passes Tucson in 5 years. Mesa is growing faster than Tucson, on the whole.

Mesa needs to build up a downtown better--a few highrises and more defined density, etc. I understand it is really a huge suburban area, but to be fast approaching 550,000 people, it is on par with some of the largest cities in the US, but looks and feels like a suburb of maybe 50, 60k downtown.

Mesa needs to do a big push to redevelop business areas along the light rail. It's wasted space right now - run down strip centers, car lots, etc. Very poor urban planning. The light rail corridor needs redevelopment with midrise class A and B office (not highrise) and a mix of multifamily rental and purchase (apartments and condos) and more restaurants. Downtown itself is actually kinda cute, but it's mainly government and historical buildings, with no real private businesses, so it's pretty dead after 5:00 pm except when something is going on at the convention center, or city events like the Christmas festivities or July 4th.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by yukon

Mesa needs to do a big push to redevelop business areas along the light rail. It's wasted space right now - run down strip centers, car lots, etc. Very poor urban planning. The light rail corridor needs redevelopment with midrise class A and B office (not highrise) and a mix of multifamily rental and purchase (apartments and condos) and more restaurants. Downtown itself is actually kinda cute, but it's mainly government and historical buildings, with no real private businesses, so it's pretty dead after 5:00 pm except when something is going on at the convention center, or city events like the Christmas festivities or July 4th.

ASU has just started developing its presence in downtown Mesa:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/...sa/2848339001/

It's a good start, but I agree that more private-sector development is needed.

[yukon]

The light rail was a wasted opportunity for quality urban planning by ALL the cities involved. The development of light rail should have been planned in conjunction with public/private initiatives to invest and develop property along the light rail lines. Too much of what is there is crap and useless. But that's a topic for another thread. I doubt that the government part of downtown Mesa will change, but there is room for development. I agree that more businesses with large number of jobs needs to relocate or open in Mesa to help fuel growth. Right now we have a lot of houses but you have to drive a decent distance to find services, stores, etc.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by yukon

The light rail was a wasted opportunity for quality urban planning by ALL the cities involved. The development of light rail should have been planned in conjunction with public/private initiatives to invest and develop property along the light rail lines. Too much of what is there is crap and useless. But that's a topic for another thread. I doubt that the government part of downtown Mesa will change, but there is room for development. I agree that more businesses with large number of jobs needs to relocate or open in Mesa to help fuel growth. Right now we have a lot of houses but you have to drive a decent distance to find services, stores, etc.

Light rail shouldn't be counted on for spurring new development. The areas along 19th Avenue, west Camelback, the Washington/Jefferson corridor, and a good part of Apache Blvd/Main Street are still the same as they were 10+ years ago. There has to be demand within the private sector, which obviously doesn't exist in these areas ... otherwise, there would be noticeable revitalization. With that said, I highly doubt downtown Mesa will see any substantial improvement due to light rail. Mesa's growth is mainly sprawl type of development, and the only reason it has a population of 500,000 is due to its expansive land area.

[Sno0909]

Probably controversial, but I've never understood the appeal of Mesa. It's always been an afterthought to me. Eastmark is nice, but other than that, I just don't get it.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Sno0909

Probably controversial, but I've never understood the appeal of Mesa. It's always been an afterthought to me. Eastmark is nice, but other than that, I just don't get it.

Definitely agree. Despite Mesa's population, it really has very little to show for it as far as amenities. I'm not familiar with Eastmark, but Dobson Ranch is one area that I've always liked. It's kind of an older greenbelt area with nice neighborhoods. In a way it reminds me of the McCormick Park area of Scottsdale. I hardly ever hear Dobson Ranch being mentioned very much, but it's one of the few areas in Mesa that I wouldn't mind living in. Here's a map of its location:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Do...4d-111.8776846