1. Arizona’s Sun Corridor: What is Happening on the Ground? Robert Lang, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology Research Director, Brookings Mountain West Interim Director, Lincy Institute University of Nevada, Las Vegas Houston, TX – September 24, 2009

2. Some of the data in this talk is from the 2008 Mountain Mega report from the Brookings Institution The next round of this research starts summer 2009 Mountain Megas Report Mountain Mega report from the Brookings Institution released in 2008 The next round of this research starts in Spring 2010

3. Arizona Sun Corridor Report WWW.ASU.EDU/ COPP/MORRISON Report From the Morrison Institute at Arizona State University also released in 2008

4. Sun Corridor: Where is the Action? Economic Development  Sun Corridor—Open for Business  U of A/ASU Cooperation Transportation  Federal Railroad Administration— Phoenix/Tucson Sun Corridor Rail  Interstate 11 Connection with Las Vegas  High-Speed Rail to Southern California Environment  Water Management

5. The 2008 Brookings Report Identified 5 Megapolitans in the Intermountain West

6. Lang and Nelson, 2010 Book

7. Texas and Southwest Megaregions

8. Population Change, 1970-1940 Southwest Megaregion Population, 1970-2040 (Thousands) GrowthPercent Megapolitan Area19702000201020252040'70-'40Change So Cal11,97620,23722,63526,38630,27318,297153% Las Vegas3231,6742,4073,4164,4424,1191275% Sun Corridor1,4474,2975,6997,4479,2337,786538% Total13,74626,20830,74137,24943,94830,202220% Source: Woods & Poole, 2009

9. The New Urban Hierarchy

10. Metros to Megas in Distance Miami - West Palm Beach (65m) Orlando - Tampa (80m) Phoenix - Tucson (110m) Florida Atlantic 65 MilesFlorida Corridor 80 MilesSun Corridor 110 Miles

11. 20 th Century Metropolitan Form

12. 21 st Century Megapolitan Form

13. Sun Corridor Urban Realms Highlands West Valley Central Valley Upper East Valley East Valley Mid Corridor Foothills Rincon Gateway SouthCo Urban Realms of the Sun Corridor SUNCORRIDORSUNCORRIDOR

14. Phoenix-Tucson Cooperation “Arizona Sun Corridor: Open for Business” is an unprecedented partnership between the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) and Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc. (TREO) that is designed to bring high-wage jobs and investment to the Sun Corridor.

15. UA/ASU Medical School

16. Sun Corridor Solar Initiatives

17. Linking the Southwest Megaregion

18. Official 2009 HSR Map

19. European High Speed Rail

20. Megapolitan vs. Megaregion Rail Megapolitans are mostly continuous urban corridors and are best served by “Regional High- Speed Rail” Megaregions are proximate but discrete urban complexes that need “Express High-Speed Rail” to bridge the gaps between multiple megapolitan areas

21. Megapolitan vs. Megaregion Rail In Megapolitans—Trains mostly compete with autos and should make multiple stops at key centers along the route In Megaregions—Trains mostly compete with short-haul air service and should make very few stops in order to maintain maximum speed

22. California/Mountain West HSR Megapolitans  Front Range = Regional HSR  Sun Corridor = Regional HSR  Wasatch Front = Regional HSR Megaregions  So Cal to Las Vegas = Express HSR  So Cal to Nor Cal = Express HSR  So Cal to Sun Corridor = Express HSR

23. Look for… A New Book out Summer 2010 Megapolitans and Megaregions: The Emergence of Large-Scale American Urban Systems By Robert E. Lang, Arthur C. Nelson, and Casey Dawkins From American Planning Association Lincoln Institute of Land Policy