00:00Ah Phoenix, this gem of the Sonora desert is not an American city like the others.
00:08It is rather a giant oven where you can organize parties, provided you do not forget the ice.
00:13Seriously, if you find yourself here in summer, prepare for intense heat.
00:18We are talking about temperatures that regularly exceed 38 degrees Celsius.
00:23In 2024, Phoenix reached 43 degrees 55 times during the summer,
00:29thus equaling the established record just the previous year.
00:33I can understand that you do not like intense heat, but apparently,
00:36a large number of people like to live in this real sauna.
00:40Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the United States.
00:44The capital is the most populated city in Arizona, with 1,700,000 inhabitants in 2024.
00:51And if we talk about its metropolitan region, also known as Valley of the Sun,
00:56the population reaches almost 5 million inhabitants.
00:59However, you will have a hard time finding someone who was born here.
01:03Out of 4 inhabitants of Phoenix, 3 were born elsewhere.
01:07Believe it or not, Phoenix has not always been an animated and overcrowded city.
01:11It has become one.
01:13A few decades ago, it was just a little dot sleeping on the map.
01:17In the 1940s, the population was about 65,000 inhabitants.
01:22Phoenix was not close to being among the top 100 cities in the United States.
01:27At the time, it was essentially an agricultural center,
01:30whose economy revolved around what was called the 5 Cs.
01:34Cotton, citrus, cattle, climate and copper.
01:39But things have really started to change in the 1950s,
01:43thanks to an invention that changed people's lives.
01:46Drum roll, please.
01:48The air conditioner.
01:49In fact, it was its portable version that came into being in 1955,
01:53created by an American inventor named Robert Sherman.
01:56The inhabitants of Phoenix owe a lot to Robert.
01:59He made life bearable during all these torrid summers.
02:02Before the arrival of air conditioning,
02:04the local inhabitants literally moved their beds outside
02:08and built porches or beds.
02:10They protected this outer space with light curtains
02:14or a kind of net to prevent dust and insects from entering.
02:18Pretty cool.
02:19In any case, the air conditioner has largely contributed
02:22to making Phoenix a good place to live.
02:24Since the 1940s, this city of Arizona has gone from a dusty little town
02:29to a tentacular urban jungle.
02:32And it is still one of the 10 metropolitan areas
02:35with the fastest growth in the United States.
02:37The best part is that it doesn't seem like it's about to change.
02:41This 1344 square kilometer metropolis is surrounded by a swampy desert,
02:46with a lot of space for close-up growth.
02:49So, who gives up everything to move to Phoenix?
02:53Californians are the biggest fans of the city.
02:56According to a recent survey,
02:58a third of the new inhabitants of Phoenix come from Los Angeles.
03:01Okay, this survey may not be the most reliable,
03:04since it only applies to clients of a private company,
03:07but it corresponds to the data from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019,
03:12which indicates that 70,000 Californians moved to Arizona
03:16during the previous year.
03:18The link between Phoenix and Los Angeles is so strong
03:21that some call Phoenix the next Los Angeles.
03:25Phoenix must be recognized for having been able to
03:28take advantage of its proximity to Southern California.
03:31The city offers lower taxes, fewer regulations,
03:35and a more affordable life,
03:37which makes it an attractive hub for businesses,
03:39especially in the high-tech and services sectors.
03:43Thus, in the 1990s,
03:45Phoenix was considered an invaluable job generator.
03:49In recent years, the number of jobs has only increased,
03:52and the unemployment rate has decreased by nearly 50%,
03:55from 6.3% in January 2014 to 3.4% in January 2024.
04:04When we talk about big cities,
04:06we can't avoid the subject of traffic.
04:08But here is another reason why Phoenix is a dream city.
04:12It is very far from the real bottleneck nightmare
04:15that is, for example, Los Angeles.
04:17According to recent estimates,
04:19Los Angeles residents lose about 119 hours a year in traffic jams.
04:23In Phoenix, it's more like 61 hours.
04:26A huge difference, isn't it?
04:28And it's without even talking about all the money
04:30people waste in their cars when they stop.
04:32In Los Angeles, drivers consume
04:35about $2,440 of gasoline each year.
04:38In Phoenix, they waste 95 liters of fuel,
04:41which ends up costing them about $950.
04:45Yes, it's still a lot of money,
04:47but compared to Los Angeles,
04:49it's practically nothing at all.
04:51The fact that Phoenix is convenient in terms of traffic
04:55may have a lot to do with the way the city was designed.
04:58Just take a look at a map.
05:00It looks like someone took a rule
05:02and drew perfectly straight lines to draw the roads.
05:05It's because the city was designed according to a grid system.
05:09This configuration greatly facilitates travel,
05:12especially compared to the crowded cities of meanders,
05:15dead ends, and streets in a unique way.
05:17It simplifies things, whether you are a resident or a tourist.
05:21In addition, the streets of Phoenix are large and pleasant.
05:25Most cities have a main road
05:27and a set of narrow streets
05:29that are not suitable for intense traffic.
05:32In Phoenix, the roads are wide everywhere.
05:35So, when the highways are jammed,
05:38you can simply borrow a parallel street
05:41and go to work without stressing yourself too much.
05:44When you consider all the possibilities of employment
05:47and this relatively fluid traffic,
05:49it is not surprising that people are willing
05:51to bear the heat of Phoenix and come to settle there.
05:54But don't be mistaken.
05:56The sun is not kidding.
05:58It is really, really hot in Phoenix.
06:01You will find an average of 300 days of sunshine,
06:05that is, more than 85% of the year.
06:09But once again, Phoenix was able to take the best part of the situation.
06:13This constant sunshine has made Phoenix
06:16one of the most efficient cities in the country in terms of solar energy.
06:20You may be wondering,
06:22a city located in the middle of the desert,
06:24where it practically does not rain,
06:26does it have enough water?
06:28Well, yes.
06:29The situation in Phoenix in terms of water is rather well regulated,
06:32thanks to multiple sources.
06:34The city does not depend only on rain,
06:37which is a good thing, of course.
06:39It is still a desert.
06:42Most of the water actually comes from the north and east of the valley.
06:46The snow melts on the mountains
06:48and flows into huge reservoirs
06:50where it is stored for the dry years.
06:52A large part of Phoenix's water also comes from the Salt River Project,
06:56which runs the water of the salt and green rivers
06:59through canals and ducts.
07:01There is also the Central Arizona Project,
07:03which transports water from the Colorado River.
07:06The city even draws a little water in underground wells.
07:09The authorities refuse to waste a single drop,
07:12so the city intelligently recycles,
07:14reuses the water treated to water the parks
07:17and to recharge the water taps.
07:20Phoenix being synonymous with sunny skies almost every day of the year,
07:24it is normal for people to be a little moody when it rains.
07:28But here, the city always has a surprise in its bag,
07:31even when it is bad weather.
07:33When it rains in the desert,
07:35the inhabitants can enjoy a particularly pleasant smell.
07:39That of Creosotier,
07:41a plant that emits an amazing fragrance when the rain falls.
07:45People simply say that it is the smell of rain.
07:48And honestly, it is one of those fresh and pure smells
07:51that make you forget that you are in a desert.
07:54And if you were wondering why Phoenix is called that way,
07:57know that it is because of the famous legend of the bird
08:00which is reborn from its ashes.
08:02After learning about all the peculiarities of this city
08:05and its unique ability to transform challenges into advantages,
08:09we can say that this name could not have been better chosen.
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