Hi Ashley,
After much deliberation, I’m posting this photo in response to your gorgeous shot of the “reclaimed” van in Brooklyn. I aged it a little through processing because, well, a) I took it at the wrong time of day and the sun washed the shot out quite a bit; b) it’s an old sign. Old for Phoenix, that is. I think it’s a good example of the Phoenix car culture and its contrast to NYC and its transportation system and culture.
This car dealership opened at the present location in 1957 and I’m guessing the sign is from then, too. Right around that time Phoenix was really expanding in population - I think air conditioning in residences was really starting to be affordable then, and Phoenix also jumped onto the tourism-destination bandwagon. I learned in a class I took a couple of years ago that Phoenix was a designed as a denial of the desert climate, and to be an oasis in the desert. (Thus, lots of lawns). And, while people were installing lawns they also focused the main transportation mode on cars. They did such a good job of building car-friendly infrastructure that Phoenix and the surrounding cities are constantly building more roads and highways and parking lots, despite the evident need for more public transportation. A bike lane or two on busy roads would be great too.
I miss the 4-5-6!
Maren
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