PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Tricia Covert

Publisher, Arizona Journal of Real Estate & Business 

It’s interesting to talk to Phoenix natives who have lived in the city for decades. They’ve seen Phoenix as a western town with barren roads and large desert lots – not too long ago.

Today, Old Town Scottsdale is a perfect example of how the Greater Phoenix area is transforming into a different place. When you spend some time in Old Town, you’ll see the original western scene, next to self-driving test cars zooming around. The transformation from a western town to a tech city is clear. Greater Phoenix is living up to its new name, the Connected Place, with tech at its core.

As the city continues to shift into a tech-driven culture, the population continues to increase as shown on the cover of this month’s issue. Phoenix recently took the 5 th largest city position in the nation, and forecasts indicate that it’s headed to the 4 th position in the near future.

Writers in this issue talk about how the Greater Phoenix area is growing and the plans to support it – from a business, culture and resource standpoint. On March 16, 2018 we will continue the conversation at the Greater Phoenix Growth Seminar from 9am to 1pm. We welcome Grady Gammage Jr. and Chris Camacho who will present their thoughts on the future of the Greater Phoenix area. Experts on our panel will further discuss plans and developments that will reshape our city into an example that can be followed by the rest of the nation.