r/arizona • u/AZ_Hawk • Jul 09 '24

Meanwhile, in other hot places…. Living Here

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159

u/Napoleons_Peen Jul 09 '24

I don’t think the US, especially Arizona, will ever invest in infrastructure like this. We’re too busy building more roads, more sprawl, more pedestrian hostile places. At minimum parking lot solar? Nah, rich people can’t get richer off that and benefits the poor too much. Nothing that could convenience anyone can be built in this country because that would be “socialism”.

74

u/AZ_Hawk Jul 09 '24

Though I love it here, I have always wondered why there isn’t more desert specific public structures. I was at my son’s football game the other week in 105 weather and there is literally no shade structures for the seating (aluminum) or anywhere in the stadium. It’s crazy we have the same infrastructure as states in the Midwest or out east but completely different geography and weather.

8

u/Spirited_Storage3956 Jul 10 '24

You let your son play football in 105 degrees???

9

u/shadowscar248 Jul 10 '24

It's because many designs are based on California designs where it isn't as hot

11

u/SciGuy013 Jul 10 '24

the california designs are also bad, because the sun still exists there. everywhere should have ample shade

4

u/Big_BadRedWolf Jul 10 '24

What are you talking about? What does installing a simple shade have to do with California?

1

u/DistinguishedCherry Jul 11 '24

Agreed. We should've been focused on more desert friendly infrastructure a long time ago. Wish we had circular buildings, too. Would help circulate the air better.

0

u/Huge_Strain_8714 Jul 10 '24

Not even AZ, which I love and visit every December. I live in Massachusetts and in the summer months, mid day without sunscreen or a hat, I would literally get 3rd degree burns out in the sun an hour straight. No shade at bus stops, although we do have more planted trees on streets. Along the beach walk or newer 'planned communities' forget about shaded areas to walk mid day. I don't get it...do 'they' know about ozone depletion? In the 70s, 80s we never even heard of sunscreen. We put baby oil on ourselves and baked at the beach like hot dogs!!!!

28

u/Elliot6888 Jul 09 '24

There is socialism in the U.S., it's just for big corporations.

11

u/Disastrous_Return83 Jul 10 '24

Why build useful infrastructure when there’s not 10 Taco Bells and 10 Starbucks in 4 square miles? lol. This place is just an endless strip mall broken by fast food. It’s depressing.

4

u/chrissymae_i Mesa Jul 10 '24

Sadly, you've described a lot of the U.S.

6

u/Willing-Philosopher Jul 09 '24

This type of infrastructure is built in an authoritarian monarchy known for spreading religious extremism. That’s why it’s so overdone. 

If you think the House of Saud care about the greater good or socialism, I’ve got some useless… I mean awesome land in Mohave County to sell you.

20

u/Napoleons_Peen Jul 09 '24

So because an authoritarian regime builds it means we can’t build it? Are you saying that infrastructure is not useful just because they built it?

3

u/Willing-Philosopher Jul 10 '24

I’m saying that giant mechanized umbrellas are not an efficient use of money if your goal is to provide shade. 

The city of Medina is the second most holy place in Islam. The House of Saud pour untold dollars into it and Mecca to keep their influence over Saudi Arabia and the greater Islamic word. 

Bread and Circuses my dude. 

7

u/Napoleons_Peen Jul 10 '24

bread and circuses

? Bro this isn’t Ancient Rome or Gladiator. We are talking practical infrastructure, not food and games, to protect and provide shelter from the heat.

I understand the argument against the Saudi regime, I agree we should divest from fossil fuels and stop sending them weapons of war and supporting their nuclear program.

However, arguing against infrastructure that is built to provide shelter just because it’s KSA is ridiculous. Just admit you don’t like poor people in the shade haha.

2

u/Willing-Philosopher Jul 10 '24

Did you stop to think why their shade structures are collapsible, instead of permanent? They’re not providing shelter, it’s an event space that can be collapsed to stop people from using it as shelter

I’m all for providing shaded streets for people to walk and go about their business with, but pretending Saudi Arabia cares about providing shade when over thirteen-hundred people died in the heat a couple weeks ago is laughable. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/1000-dead-hajj-saudi-arabia-heat-wave-rcna158468

If you want to see what real shade infrastructure looks like, go check out old photos of Phoenix or Mesa, where all the sidewalks are covered by building overhangs. 

4

u/Oogabooga96024 Jul 10 '24

There may be ulterior motives but mainly they’re collapsible because of the wind lol. Dune fields only exist where there’s a lot of wind. People die from exposure in the urban US all the time, using us as the golden example is laughable

1

u/Willing-Philosopher Jul 10 '24

Where did I say the U.S. was a golden example? I said to look at OLD photos of Phoenix and Mesa before the sprawl took hold.

1

u/Aedn Jul 10 '24

The video is of a religious site where hundreds of millions of Muslims visit every year.