TD1 00:AZ77-PE A Perspective on Land Features and Major Activity Centers ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DIVISION OCTOBER 1977 FOR STUDY PURPOSES ONLY ARIZONA -- A PERSPECTIVE ON LAND FEATURES AND MAJOR ACTIVITY CENTERS Report No. W-77-1 ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DIVISION SUPPORT SERVICES GROUP PRINCIPAL AUTHORS: DEMOGRAPHY AND LAND USE SECTION SYSTEMS MODELING AND RESEARCH SECTION Arizona Transportation Research Center Library ~06 South 17th Avenue, #075R OCTOBER 1971 Phoenix, AZ 85007 Second Printing: July 197a ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DIVISION 206 South Seventeenth Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007 BRUCE BABBITT Governor WILLIAM A . OROWAY Director JOHN A. BIVENS, JR. Assistant Director CORRECTION PAGE Report Title: Arizona: A Perspective on Land Features and Major Activity Centers Report Date: October, 1977 On page II-7 under the heading "Mineral Fuels", delete Gila County in sentence 3; also, delete sentence 5 completely. On page III-36 delete uranium in sentence 5. On page III-38 under the heading "Map Ref. No.", delete numbers 25 through 29. On page III-39 delete "URANIUM" from the legend, delete map reference numbers 25 through 29, and disregard the pro­ posed uranium mine shown in southwestern Yavapai County. February 1978 AA/cb H GHWAY • A.ERONAUTICS • MOTOR VEHIC E • PU BLIC TR A NSIT • ADMINISTRATI V E SERVICES • TRANSPORTATION PLANNING TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page No. PREFACE . · • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iii I INTRODUCTION . I-1 Purpose and Scope of Report • • • • • • I-1 Study Assumptions and Considerations • • . • • • I-3 Study Criteria and Resources. • • • • I-6 Report Organization • • . • • • • • • . • • I-7 II LAND FEATURES • • • . • • . • • • • • • II-1 (Includes text, table (s) when applicable, and map(s) in that order.) I.D. No. 501: Climate . II-2 I .D.- No. 502: Recoverable Natural Resources II-6 I.D. No. 503: Public Lands . II-16 I.D. No. 504: Agriculture . II-23 I.D. No. 505: Urban Areas . II-30 I.D. No. 506: Historic and Archaeological Sites of Arizona . II-36 I.D. No. 507: Topographic Slope . II-40 I.D. No. 508: Land Subsidence and Earth Fissures . II-44 I.D. No. 509-: Floodplains . -• . II-47 III MAJOR ACTIVITY CENTERS . III-1 (Includes text, table (s) when applicable, and map(s) in that order.) I-. D. No. 10'1: Major Manufacturing Establish- ments . III-2 I.D. No. 102: Major Transportation Terminals and Distribution Centers . III-9 I .D. No. 103: Major Government Headquarters, . III-11 I.D. No. 104: Hospitals . III-15 I.D. No. 105: Major Education Centers . III-19 I.D. No.,106: Major Industrial Parks . III-24 I.D. No. 107: Major Mines . III-36 I.D. No. 108: Electrical Power Generation Facilities . III-40 I.D. No. 109: Arizona Public Use and Military Airports . III-46 I.D. No. 110: Arizona Military Airports . III-54 I.D. No. 111: Major Cultural and Spectator Facilities . • . III-55 I .D. No. 112: Major Parks and Recreation Areas . III-67 I.D. No. 113: Major Lakes, Reservoirs, Rivers, and Creeks . III-76 :f .D. No. 114: Major Special Events . .. III-85 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Chapter Page No. I.D. No. 115: Major Distribution Centers •••• III-90 I.D. No. 116: Major Lumber and Timber Opera- tions • • • • • • • • • • • • • III-91 I.D. No. 117: Major Retail Concentrations ••• III-94 IV CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS • . IV-1 APPENDIX . 1 I • D • No • 5 0 6 • . 2 I • D. No • 5 0 7 • . 13 I.D. No. 508 . 15 I.D. No. 509 • . 31 I • D. No . 113 • . 35 Bibliography . 47 BACK POCKET Geographical Locator 'Transparency ii PREFACE During the month of June 1977, numerous aeetings were held between key staff •••hers of the State Plan Section and the Demography and Land Use section. The purpose of these meetings was to develop a 11ut uall y acceptable wort program in respect to the establishment of an existing and future land use data base. This data base would be designed specifically to meet statewide transportation planning needs on a continuing basis. As a startinq point, it vas mutually agreed that an initial report would be prepared containing a variety· of data ger11ane to land features such as floodplains and subsidence. Additionally, relevant data would be presented in respect to major activity centers such as 11ajo1. education centers and hospitals. It must be emphasized that the assignment involved more than mere fact finding. In actuality, the collection, analysis, and presentation of data occurred only after agreement was reached on basic criteria--for all items to be studied. This report was prepared as a result of the efforts of a number of staff members. Resource material was used from many agencies within both the public and private sectors. A Bibliography is included in the Appendix for information purposes. In particular, a,11 authors are especially grateful to Dr. Richard w. Reeves, Head of the Department of iii Geography, College of Business and Public Administration, The University of Arizona. Dr. Reeves authorized the loan and use of approximately 25 maps from the Arizona Atlas, which is soon to be publishe.d by the Division of Economic and Business Research at The University of Arizona. Obviously, countless hours of research, analysis, and drafting-related work were saved. Your comments and suggestions on any aspect of this study are welcomed. In this way, staff will be better informed in respect to your needs. iv CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter discusses the purpose and scope of the land features and major activity centers study. It contains definitions, research assumptions, and organization information which should prove helpful to the prospective user. fl!~~22-Ang_~Q~~-21_i~2rt The rec en tl y-released report entitled "Arizona Transportation Directions--Tovard a State Transportation Plan" notes that the first integrated Arizona Transportation systems Plan (based upon statewide transportation goals and objectives) will be completed by January 1, 1979. The formulation of realistic statewide goals and objectives will require analysis of a comprehensive transportation and land use data base. Therefore, an i ■ portant ia ■ediate objective of the Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) Demography and Land Use Section has been to establish an existing and future land use data base designed to aeet statewide transportation planning needs. The information generated by this study may be used as part of the state planning process to reco■■ end the i ■ proveaent of existing facilities, to delineate new transportation corridors, or to determine potentially developable lands. I-1 After a series of meetings in June, 1977, vith the ADOT State Plan Section, the Demography and L~nd Use Section agreed to prepare a study focusing on principal land features and major activity centers within the State of Arizona. In contrast to the conventional, categorical atlas, this study presents resource material on land use activities, an approach which will provide a more useful basis for transportation planning decisions. In general, the primary purpose of this report is to furnish accurate data pertaining to land features and major activity centers that will be of immediate value for statewide transportation planning. The scope of the study is discussed in the next few paragraphs. Land features. are considered in this report because the physical qualities of any geographic are• will influence both the form and structure of development. These basic influences may constrain the location and construction of transportation facilities; however, they may also pr.esent unique opportunities for innovative/scenic transportation facilities. Additionally, transportation systems maJ have significant impacts upon physical land features as well as the "built environment". Good transportation planning practices, as well as federal regulations, require attention to both of these areas. Knowledge of the location and extent of these land features is essential to perform state transportation planning. I-2 This study contains nine items which have been classified broadlf. as land features (either physical qualities such as topographic slope and flood plains or "built environment" such as historic structures and agriculture). Chapter II describes the detailed characteristics of these features. Major activity centers are defined as significant concentrations of people, employees, goods, or services that are a focus for transportation service. Further, they a.re generally characterized by high densities of land use and are significant traffic generators. They may be readily classified by trip-type, including work, school, shopping, socia 1, and recreation trip purposes. This study contains seventeen items that may be classi£ied generally as aajor activity centers, according to the above definition. Examples of these activity centers are: industrial parks, education centers, .regional shopping centers, special events, and lumbering operations. Cb.apter III provides more detailed descriptions of these centers. ~!!gJ._!§!H!!!,EtiQ.!!.§_.9!!,g_£2!!2idi~sii2112 For information purposes, the following paragraphs summari~e significant study assumptions and considerations: Assumptions: • Major activity center data for smaller municipalities is more important from a Statewide Transportation standpoint than for Phoenix and I-3 Tucson where the urban complex itself is the overwhelming at traction. For this reason, emphasis was placed on obtaining activity center data outside the highly-urbanized areas. • With respect to the inclusion of a particular activity center, the following four criteria were used in most cases: a. The magnitude of the transportation system required to sustain the activity e.g., 3,000,000 visitors per year at Grand Canyon National Park. b. The nature of the activity in terms of importance to life-support e.g., the only hospital or educational center in an area. c. The areal importance of the activity. Activities that attract or cause long trips, whether person or goods, are generally more important statewide than local attractors. d. The direct impact on the operation of a statewide trans~ortation facility e.g., the Ensphere in Flagstaff.