ABSTRACT

The spirit of architecture and planning cries out for authentic commitment and design. For the latter part of the nineteenth and all of the twentieth century, this meant breaking beyond imitating the past into expressions of our own time. Cities in the Southwest have long topped the list of the nation’s dynamic growth areas, replacing untouched desert with homes and businesses at an unprecedented rate. When confronted with statistics concerning the speed at which open land is becoming suburbia, even the most astute observers can be stunned. Economic and market forces cannot be ignored but they can be considered within a broader perspective. In the new paradigm, developers, citizens, and government officials will speak of the spirit of community with as much conviction as one speaks of codes and ordinances. The past separation of housing, life, and work will be replaced with a far richer mix between community and the sustaining essence of nature.