OK. I'm not comparing Phoenix and Tucson so hater's be gone. However
I was in Tucson recently and had a great time Downtown and along 4th Ave. The one thing I've noticed the last several times I've been in Tucson is that there are no empty lots...I mean anywhere! They just don't tear shit down. Now, part of that is that they're not developer-driven town, but they have so many more historic, interesting, human-scale buildings in their core than we have... a lot more! It's sad that we just tear shit down and then wait decades for something to be built. Why not just utilize what exists? It's a shame, really.