When Phoenix & Tucson Merge...

When Phoenix, Tucson merge, from the Arizona Republic, reports that Arizona's two largest metro areas are on course to meet and merge within a decade, engulfing several small towns along the way. While Phoenix and Tucson are separated by 120 miles, their suburbs reach much farther up and down Interstate 10. Planned developments stretch 60 miles south of Phoenix, deep into Pinal County. In Tucson, new projects are heading 40 miles north into Pinal County. Urban researchers are calling the corridor a megapolitan, or "super-sized" metropolitan area. "Megapolitans are the future of the country's growth," said Marshall Vest, an economist and director with the Economic and Business Research Center at the University of Arizona. "Phoenix and Tucson are already merging into one," he added. The notion of Phoenix and Tucson merging isn't new, but it is happening faster than most expected due to both cities rapid growth. Arizona is the smallest megapolitan and has the greatest potential for growth," said ASU Professor John Long. The Phoenix-Tucson megapolitan is one of several in the country, including the Los Angeles to San Diego area and the Portland-Seattle area. As a result of this "megapolitan", land is being bought in Pinal County and other fringe areas at a record pace. More than 600 land deals worth at least $1 billion closed on the fringes of metro Phoenix and Pinal County last year, according to local housing analyst RL Brown. Brown says 40 percent of all new Valley homes could be in Pinal County in the near future!

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