[Walt]

We've seen similar speculation in downtown Phoenix, particularly involving ASU. It helps explain why governments sometimes have to use the power of eminent domain to assemble land for development.

Vacant land needs to be taxed in such a way that discourages speculation for its own sake. How this can be done equitably needs to be figured out.

I hope Tucson gets solid, value-heavy residential. This means, no shoddy wood-frame condos, "affordable housing" (Insta-slums), or Soviet-style apartment blocks for the elderly. There are many creative craftsmen and artisans working in Tucson, some of whom specialize in "green" sustainable construction. This is where the future is pointing. I hope Tucson can think deeply about its unique status as a desert city with an environmental edge. It might be a way to forgo the Phoenix temptation of more and more sprawl with diminishing returns.