Tempe, University city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, that spreads across the northern Sonoran Desert area, combining urban zones with dry vegetation. The built environment ranges from multistory apartment blocks to wide single-family home neighborhoods, connected by broad road networks.
The settlement began as Hayden's Ferry in the late nineteenth century and was renamed in 1880. Railroad access brought growth in the following decades, while the founding of the university from the 1880s shaped the town's development.
The university neighborhood around campus shows low buildings and many bicycle lanes, which become especially busy during semester periods. Local cafés and student housing shape the streetscape south of University Drive, where activity continues late into the evening.
The street layout follows a grid plan, which makes orientation easier, especially in the central quarters near downtown. Visitors planning longer walks should carry enough water, as summer heat can be particularly intense.
An artificially created lake has filled a previously dry riverbed since the late nineties and fundamentally changed the cityscape. This water area extends over several kilometers and now serves as a nearby recreation zone in the middle of the desert landscape.
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