So I drove around to the southern loop of the 202, the Santan Freeway, last night… It didn’t exist a couple years ago, and it’s still not connected all the way yet, but should be later this year.

I am simultaneously awestruck and horrified by how far this metro area reaches. And though it isn’t all filled in yet, it’s obvious our urban sprawl will reach the entire area the 202 encompasses, and beyond. It’s inevitable; the freeway aids and abets growth.

And you and I already knew this, but it was confirmed by what I saw last night: these are not going to be vibrant, artistic, intellectual communities. They’re going to be the same blocks of identical tract homes, interspersed with the same Super-Target-KFC-Petsmart mini malls that fill the rest of the valley. Forget about walking - it’s two miles to the corner store. Your kids will have to take up graffiti or drugs if they want accessible entertainment. And most of the people living there will have to commute all. the. way. back. to Phoenix or Scottsdale for work.

This smoggy, torrid hell is your new home. Good thing it has broadband…