Phoenix is the largest and capital city of the state of Arizona in the United States. With a population 1.5 million people, it ranks as the sixth most populated city in the entire United States. Phoenix city is the anchor of Phoenix Metropolitan area which is also commonly called the Valley of the Sun. this metropolitan area is the fourteenth largest in terms of population in the U.S with approximately 4.2 million people in the year 2010. In respects to land surface, the city is among the largest cities in the United States. It is also the largest capital city in the U.S and the only state capital that has a population of over one million people. The city is positioned in the northeastern section of Sonoran Desert and has an arid subtropical type of climate.
Phoenix has sustained a growth streak in current years, developing by 24.2 percent before the year 2007. This made it the second fastest growing metropolitan region in the United States following only Las Vegas, whose populace had increased by 29.2 percent in that same year. In the year 2008, Phoenix was among the hardest hit cities by the mortgage crisis of Subprime. In early periods of 2009, the average price of a home was $150,000, a decrease from its $262,000 peak in latest times. The rate of crime in Phoenix has gone drastically gone down in recent time and once disturbed, decaying districts such as South Mountain, Maryvale and Alhambra have improved and stabilized. Also in recent times business districts in Phoenix and the central hub have experienced renewed growth and interest, resulting in abundant stores, restaurant and businesses opening or moving to central Phoenix.
As with most regions of Arizona, the city of Phoenix does not watch daylight saving time. In the year 1973, the then Governor, Jack Williams debated to the US Congress that the use of energy would increase during the evening, as units of refrigeration were not used as regularly in the daybreak on standard time. The Governor went on to argue that energy use would increase since more lights would be on in the early dawn. He was furthermore concerned about kids going to school while still dark, which undeniably they were. The exemption to this is domains of the Navajo Nation in the Northeastern part of Arizona, which watches daylight saving time in collaboration with their tribal lands in all other states.
Since the year 1986, the city of Phoenix has been separated into municipal villages, many of which are footed upon historically important communities and neighborhoods that have since been integrated into Phoenix. Every village has a committee for planning that is appointed straight by the city council. According to the handbook of the village plan issued by the city, the function of the committees of village planning is to work with the city’s development commission to make certain a balance of employment and housing in each village, focus development at recognized village cores, and to promote the exceptional character and distinctiveness of the villages.
