Phoenix’s skyline is marked by fewer towering skyscrapers than most major cities, but there’s a reason for that.
Rather than growing up, Phoenix has grown outward.
While Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the U.S., it also covers more than 500 square miles, according to city officials. This not only makes it one of the most populated U.S. cities but also one of the largest by land area. By comparison, New York City only has 304 square miles of land.
This abundance of space has helped Phoenix develop differently than other big U.S. cities.
Here’s what to know about Phoenix’s development and why there are so few skyscrapers.
More:Why the tallest building in Arizona is empty
Why are there so few skyscrapers in Phoenix?
The Phoenix Planning and Development Department explained why the city doesn’t have as many tall buildings as other major cities in a previous interview with The Arizona Republic.
- Fewer skyscrapers and more freeways: Phoenix covers a lot more land area than other major cities. With the automobile in the driver’s seat of development and residential patterns, Valley residents were not confined to a downtown corridor for jobs or opportunities.
- Phoenix’s village system: Phoenix has a system of 15 urban villages with designated business hubs in each. This encouraged more height and employment around the city.
- Zoning in downtown Phoenix: While some height has always been allowed in the downtown corridor, the suburban-style parking standards and limitations to the number of units allowed in each development kept buildings relatively shorter. This has changed over the years, allowing more tall buildings to be built.
- Proximity to Sky Harbor Airport: Because of its closeness to the airport, downtown Phoenix has zoning rules in place to ensure air traffic is not affected by buildings.
What is the tallest building in Phoenix?
The former Chase Tower, located at 201 N. Central Ave., is the tallest building in Phoenix and all of Arizona.
Chase vacated the building in 2021 for its new campus in Tempe, leaving Arizona’s tallest building empty. Many reuse ideas have been proposed for the tower, but nothing has taken hold yet.
The building is 483 feet tall.
More:These are the 10 tallest buildings in Phoenix. Here’s what to know about them
Former Arizona Republic reporter Grace Oldham contributed to this article.
