State capital and Sunbelt success story The largest metropole of the Southwest, Phoenix literally bloomed from the desert after the Second World War—so much so that new landscapes have forced pollen and allergies on those who once escaped there for their health. The urban population increased twelvefold from 1950 to 1999 (1,198,064 census estimate)–20 percent in the 1990s alone.

The area has been especially popular for retirees—the retirement complex, Sun City, developed nearby—and those escaping perceived urban crises in the East and California.

Politically, it was the home of conservative thinker and 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. Later, sports (basketball’s Suns), cultural facilities and resorts have expanded in the city and nearby Scottsdale and Tempe. Yet, in the 1990s, growth confronted the conservative, casual city with critical issues of sprawl, automobile dependency and maintenance of open spaces, recreation and agriculture.