Maxwell: Planning a Scottsdale that appeals to tomorrow’s residents

This past Sunday, the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix hosted a candidate debate for both the City Council and the mayoral elections.

One of the questions posed to candidates was around the changing demographics in Scottsdale and how that would effect development (?) in the future.

One of the mayoral candidates responded that the idea that Scottsdale is getting younger is a myth being promoted by developers and advocates who want to build high-density residential. So that got me thinking. Is that true?

So, I did what I naturally do, turned to the data. Here is what I discovered.

US Census ACS data from 2019 shows the average age of residents in the old town ZIP codes of 85251 and 85257 show the median age is 37.6 years of age.

The average age in our downtown urban center is trending dramatically younger. This is exactly what we want to see in our downtown.

However, the census estimates report that the median age in 2018 was 47, up from 41 in 2000.

This is concerning. We need to build a city that appeals to the next generation.

Young professionals and young families are the future of our community.

With the world around us changing very quickly, Scottsdale city leaders need to recognize these changes.

New generations of residents may have different visions of our city. We need to maintain our rich western heritage while simultaneously planning a city that appeals to tomorrow’s residents of knowledge workers and keeps our community vibrant.

Editor’s Note: Kevin Maxwell is a candidate for Scottsdale City Council in the Aug. 4 primary election.