I agree with everything Mayor Gallego has said in her op-ed about the concerning impact of rising temperatures and water supply for our city. But one thing that was missing was the role that unsustainable growth, that we permit here in Phoenix, has on our climate and water supply.

U.S. Census reports that 200 people move to Phoenix every single day! The mayor and the city council continue to approve new large-scale home developments. The effect is two-fold:

1. Bulldozing over deserts which are natural cooling islands for more paved streets and suburbs which are heat-absorbing increases our temperatures and

2. Development puts more strain on an already limited water supply.

This is not anecdotal; statistics show that Phoenix leads the nation in new built to rent housing developments because of  its status as a development-friendly city.

I’m not suggesting that we close our doors to new residents, but we absolutely must consider tailoring the number of new homes built for the water supply we have available. This is something that the mayor and the city council have the ability to do.

I envision my children and my grandchildren living and thriving in this beautiful city, but the consistently rising temperatures and dwindling water supply put this dream into question.

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