Phoenix, the Role of the University, and the Politics of Green-Tech

Abstract

The global economic crisis that began in 2008 had a particularly harsh impact on cities of the Southwestern United States. Over the previous few decades Phoenix had experienced the fastest growth of any major American city. This demographic dynamic was linked to an unprecedented housing and construction boom that made many individuals and companies wealthy. Like the gold rushes of the nineteenth century, this get-rich-quick success dampened potential interest in alternative models that would require longer-term investment, like the creation of strong public institutions and more knowledge-based jobs.