1952 Map of Phoenix

About this map

Phoenix undergoes a significant mid-century expansion in this record of its civic and industrial core. The landscape is defined by the Salt River valley, where an intricate system of irrigation including the Grand Canal and Western Canal supported the city's agricultural roots before rapid post-war urbanization took hold. This survey documents the concentration of state power at the Capitol Bldg and the emergence of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as a regional hub. Local history is deeply etched into the grid, from the cluster of resting places like Greenwood Cem and Old City Cem to the numerous neighborhood institutions such as Carver High Sch and Kenilworth School. The map illustrates the transition from a desert rail center served by the Southern Pacific to a modernizing metropolis, with later purple revisions showing the outward creep of residential development.