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Sadly its now the Willis Tower, no longer the Sears Tower, but nobody cares, everyone calls it the sears tower.
Too bad that the Walton family didn't buy it. That way the Sears Tower could have been renamed Wal-Mart Tower. I remember as a kid, we all shopped at Sears. Ask today’s kids and chances are the majority of them have been to a Wal-Mart with their parents.
Maybe that is what happens every 50 years, another national chain takes over as the dominant retail force.
My thought is that government think tanks are a small part of the deciding force in how a city evolves. Although they can develop a blue print to follow real change happens when industry of some sort drives a community. Look at Detroit and see that changes have happened to limit economic growth. Cars are built cheaper elsewhere changing the course of Detroit’s future. The Silicon Valley on the other hand is driven by the technology sector. Growth still occurs in the Silicon Valley. No growth occurs in Detroit.
Some people say that the area needs an economic focus, other than the service industry, building industry, call center industry or some other second tier industry. You have national companies that have large operations in the Valley, but keep the corporate offices in other parts of the nation. I understand that, as the area has plenty of people, plenty of affordable housing, and a low cost to build commercial facilities compared too many other large cities. Maybe that is the answer to the valleys identity from here until 2050. Work at attracting national and international companies into the area as a good place to build office space for corporate business operations, distribution centers for the western states, design centers for green building. I did notice that the area is growing in the solar sector.
Design a plan for how the valley should look, but don't forget the engine that powers it all.
The one thing that I want for Phoenix by 2050 is something individual and spectacular to place us on the map. San Fran the Golden Gate, New York the Statue of Liberty, Chicago the Sears Tower, these sort of things leave emotional imprints on all Americans and they hold these memories in their minds as iconic links to the very cities that contain them. Phoenix needs to get on the page and build something that does this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmist
I completely agree!!!! We need a claim to fame.
We had a thread about this a while back. I don't remember the title of the thread. Some people were taking this same stance. Others took the position that building some tall building or tower or statue for the purpose that it would be some sort of landmark that tourists would come to see was a waste of money. I'm on that side, at this point. For instance, I wouldn't waste time going to the Willis Tower in Chicago, although I know lots do, mainly to stand in that glass box...not for me. Other than that, it's a tall building. Big deal-- that's not what interests me in Chicago.
But I'm curious, since you both weren't in on the earlier thread, at least I don't think so. What do you think it should be, given the geography of the area? (No harbor, no ocean, etc., so no bridges or statues on an island).
Location: Moved to Gladstone, MO in June 2022 and back to Minnesota in September 2022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by observer53
We had a thread about this a while back. I don't remember the title of the thread. Some people were taking this same stance. Others took the position that building some tall building or tower or statue for the purpose that it would be some sort of landmark that tourists would come to see was a waste of money. I'm on that side, at this point. For instance, I wouldn't waste time going to the Willis Tower in Chicago, although I know lots do, mainly to stand in that glass box...not for me. Other than that, it's a tall building. Big deal-- that's not what interests me in Chicago.
But I'm curious, since you both weren't in on the earlier thread, at least I don't think so. What do you think it should be, given the geography of the area? (No harbor, no ocean, etc., so no bridges or statues on an island).
Something that would fit in the desert nicely and could only be built in a desert, just like a bridge can only be built over water. I don't know anything that could only be built in a desert though...
We had a thread about this a while back. I don't remember the title of the thread. Some people were taking this same stance. Others took the position that building some tall building or tower or statue for the purpose that it would be some sort of landmark that tourists would come to see was a waste of money. I'm on that side, at this point. For instance, I wouldn't waste time going to the Willis Tower in Chicago, although I know lots do, mainly to stand in that glass box...not for me. Other than that, it's a tall building. Big deal-- that's not what interests me in Chicago.
But I'm curious, since you both weren't in on the earlier thread, at least I don't think so. What do you think it should be, given the geography of the area? (No harbor, no ocean, etc., so no bridges or statues on an island).
Well, I dont know if its a touristy landmark that I'm after...
I just want Phoenix to be KNOWN for something other sunshine.
For instance, it makes no sense to me that a place like Dubai has the worlds largest indoor ski resort, or Minnesota has the largest indoor pool in USA. Chile has the worlds largest outdoor pool. Vegas has the strip which isnt just one landmark, but rather an entire energy that says Vegas.
Phoenix right now as the 5th largest city doesnt offer really anything unique other than a climate. Its pretty much a city that lives with the amenities of any average sized city, but duplicates the same exact establishments over an extraordinarily HUGE land mass, and not one thing really sticks out.
For all I know it has the most golf courses per capita, or most golfing days per year, something like that. I agree our landscape doesnt allow for bridges, harbors, and that building an office skyscraper without need is wasteful.
I would be happy to be known as a city with the cleanest most efficient mass transit system, or the city that uses more solar per capita than anywhere else due to a complete change in the architecture from the rest of the nation. Something that other cities can look to as an example rather than a study of what NOT to do.
Well, I dont know if its a touristy landmark that I'm after...
I just want Phoenix to be KNOWN for something other sunshine.
For instance, it makes no sense to me that a place like Dubai has the worlds largest indoor ski resort, or Minnesota has the largest indoor pool in USA. Chile has the worlds largest outdoor pool. Vegas has the strip which isnt just one landmark, but rather an entire energy that says Vegas.
Phoenix right now as the 5th largest city doesnt offer really anything unique other than a climate. Its pretty much a city that lives with the amenities of any average sized city, but duplicates the same exact establishments over an extraordinarily HUGE land mass, and not one thing really sticks out.
For all I know it has the most golf courses per capita, or most golfing days per year, something like that. I agree our landscape doesnt allow for bridges, harbors, and that building an office skyscraper without need is wasteful.
I would be happy to be known as a city with the cleanest most efficient mass transit system, or the city that uses more solar per capita than anywhere else due to a complete change in the architecture from the rest of the nation. Something that other cities can look to as an example rather than a study of what NOT to do.
Good post. Those ideas make a lot more sense to me than a man made landmark!
Okay how about a twenty story building that is in the shape of a Phoenix Bird and has lights that make it appear on fire. Maybe build a replica of the Egyptian Pyramids to full scale, only have them done in the white plaster with the gold tips like the originals were new. We could revitalize the salt river valley completely from Tempe Lake to the town of Buckeye with lakes, flowing rivers, parks, fishing, boating, skiing all urban and all local. Why not look at the idea of the laser we wanted to build all those years ago and actually do it? Just make it a safe distance from the airports so it don't get scrapped like it did the first time. We could have an indoor amusement park much like the Circus Circus Adventure dome only bigger with a super coaster that starts at the top of one of the high rises down town like coaster in the New York New York casino. We could business by business renovate Van Buren and Washington Streets so that they are mirror the modern and clean look of Central. We could have a bullet train run from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon.
I think we need to create jobs, to do that you need revenue why shouldn't we get some Tourism Money back from our sister cities Vegas and Diego? I'm pro tourism and for putting Phoenix on the map. I like the idea of a landmark to draw in visitors. But complete the package with several other attractions that make our hotel travel and food industry bounce like they can. Some say it is too hot bologna! Vegas is only 5 degrees cooler than us usually, I don't see their tourism industry dead.
Well, I dont know if its a touristy landmark that I'm after...
I just want Phoenix to be KNOWN for something other sunshine.
For instance, it makes no sense to me that a place like Dubai has the worlds largest indoor ski resort, or Minnesota has the largest indoor pool in USA. Chile has the worlds largest outdoor pool. Vegas has the strip which isnt just one landmark, but rather an entire energy that says Vegas.
Phoenix right now as the 5th largest city doesnt offer really anything unique other than a climate. Its pretty much a city that lives with the amenities of any average sized city, but duplicates the same exact establishments over an extraordinarily HUGE land mass, and not one thing really sticks out.
For all I know it has the most golf courses per capita, or most golfing days per year, something like that. I agree our landscape doesnt allow for bridges, harbors, and that building an office skyscraper without need is wasteful.
I would be happy to be known as a city with the cleanest most efficient mass transit system, or the city that uses more solar per capita than anywhere else due to a complete change in the architecture from the rest of the nation. Something that other cities can look to as an example rather than a study of what NOT to do.
I agree. I would love to see a tall building in Phoenix. I've been to Dubai, many of their structures and tall buildings are empty or nearly empty. The King and oil moguls can afford, for the most part, to pay billions on "landmarks," however. As for the strip, its fun for three days and then its like: "so same bar, same time?" And then you realize that "landmark" street is filled with unoriginal replicas...
Phoenix is now known, and the reputation is growing, as the city (metro) with the most successful light rail start-up in the nation. Predictions for ridership are even better than the most enthusiastic supporter would have dared to dream. Almost all cities I know had ridership estimates around 26,000 per average day.
Seattle, Minneapolis, etc and are far or just over those estimates. Seattle is nearly 10,000 under this estimate and Minneapolis is just over 30,000 (and their system is many years older and opened in 2004)...in Phoenix we are over 41,000 and that is leaps and bounds above any expectation. Even the Goldwater Institute (arguably the staunchest opponents of the light rail) have "sheepishly" accepted its "usefulness." Our weekend ridership numbers even top Seattle's weekday numbers; and Seattle is well known as a huge transit oriented city.
Otherwise, Phoenix landmarks are mostly natural or weather related; Camelback Mountain (Camelback Rd on the new monopoly board after all, LOL), and timeless resorts like the Phoenician and Biltmore which are not new and full of history...
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