Welcome to Anthem Arizona, one of the many master planned communities in the Phoenix Metro area. Anthem is the name of a master planned community 34 miles north of central Phoenix. It is not an incorporated city, although it is thought of as a separate entity from the surrounding community in which it exists. Anthem was built by Dell Web in 1999 on what was existing desert on the fringe of northern Phoenix, leapfrogging from the footprint of the city. Much as Jon Talton describes in his article, “Phoenix 101: ‘Master Planned Communities”, Anthem is a community that defies space and causes environmental degradation of the natural landscape along the way.

   According to the Anthem chamber of commerce, Anthem is comprised of three major subdivisions encompassing 5836 acres, named after upscale California communities such as Park Side, Country Club and The Village. Each is delineated by its own architectural design, governing body and resources, establishing plans and policies for the community and managing its assets. There are over 20 neighborhoods within the three subdivisions and approximately 7500 homes, estimated to have over 30,000 residents with the majority being Anglo, educated and families. The homogeneity does not fit the population of the Phoenix metro area, which has a much higher percentage of Latino, African American and Indian populations. Ultimately master planned communities like Anthem segregate one class of residents from the larger diverse communities in which they exist.

   Anthem is only accessible from Interstate 17 that runs north and south splitting the community into East and West neighborhoods. One must use the freeway entrances and exits at Daisy Mountain or Gavilan Peak to access the community, making traffic a nightmare during peak times. Once I arrived in Anthem there were perfectly situated shopping centers near each of the subdivisions with access to groceries, gas, dry cleaning, yoga, Pilates, child care and boutique shopping. Once I entered the subdivision I followed one long major road that wound through it until I found the street that I was looking for. Once ensconced in the streets it was not easy to find my way out of the maze of cul-de-sacs and dead ends, it was like being on a merry go round that never stopped. The residents of Anthem are segregated from the outside world and the reality of what goes on around them. Jon Talton points out in his article that this segregations is misleading; there is a perception of community , however the primary goal is separation by walls , roads and function of yards , that take families inside and immerse the occupants in privacy, without getting to know the people around them.

   Anthem does have an impressive array of amenities, which as Talton admonishes in his article, often comes at a price to the homeowner, of which they are unaware. For example, Anthem has a community center with a multitude of sports, such as soccer, basketball, tennis, golf, martial arts and swimming. There is also a water park. All amenities included in the HOA association fees assessed, on each home which vary from $235-$450 a month(Realator.com). Amenities are considered public areas; however, they are only accessible to the residents if association fees are current and homeowners do not have an option to opt out of the fees or the community center. Another area that is available to residents is a 63-acre community park with pavilions, pagodas, an amphitheater and multitude of baseball diamonds and soccer fields. According to posted signs near the park, teams that are not associated with Anthem are not allowed to use any of these community areas; they are exclusive to the residents and hence not truly public space. Anthem also has numerous schools available to its residents, 14 to be exact. Eight of the schools are private or charter schools with only one public high school, limiting the options for an education that is not privatized.

   The residents of Anthem with whom I spoke had glowing reviews of their community, they spoke of the inherent safety of a master planned community and the well-orchestrated community events, as well as their fellow anthem residents. I did not see many people talking out in front of their houses. I did see children on the baseball and soccer fields, while parents sat in chairs reading a kindle or iPad. Despite conversations among the parents, it was not the picture of close knit neighbors enjoying the sunshine and communal bonds that I would have expected given the neighborly reputation of the community. Most of the people I saw outside in front of houses were service workers, such as lawn maintenance and cleaning services. I did notice some for-sale signs, not more than I would expect in today’s real-estate market. I also noticed a few foreclosure signs and short sale signs possibly signaling the decline of the economic health of the community.

   Jon Talton mentions in his article that master planned communities are not sustainable economically or environmentally and are a drain on the taxpayers as utilities rise and the economy destabilizes and fluxes. The most interesting thing that I noticed was the absence of the less fortunate, such as homeless and panhandlers, which I can typically see on most freeway entrances in the valley this time of year. The inability to access the community and its distance from the Phoenix city center most likely removes any outsiders from the area. I can imagine that the residents of this privatized enclave would not look kindly at a homeless person sleeping in their amphitheater.