Smart Cities: Scottsdale, Arizona

Desert dwellers are a determined lot. In few places is this truism more pronounced than in Scottsdale, which mixes the shimmer of luxury resorts with a shrewd sense for sustainability. In 1995 that spirit was a driving force behind a voter-approved tax to set aside a third of the city as the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Now a point of pride for locals, the initiative protects a desert ecosystem from development while providing citizens with 182 miles of hike-bike trails. It’s not just saguaros that have found a haven. Scottsdale celebrates Native American and cowboy art at its Museum of the West, honors Frank Lloyd Wright at the architect’s winter home, Taliesin West, and supports local arts in gallery districts on Main Street and Marshall Way. “Scottsdale’s desert environment forces you to be creative,” says Gio Osso, the owner and chef at Virtù Honest Craft. “We Scottsdalians always return here, asking, ‘What will we think of next?’"

Eat

Gastronomic Oasis

Consignment shop Vintage by Misty presents the owner’s curated anthology of retro European designer fashion—bright, fun, and the perfect bit of eccentric. Buy limited-edition artworks and high-fired stoneware directly from artists at the Cattle Track Arts Compound or at Andaz Scottsdale’s Textiles & Objects gift shop. The small-batch, handcrafted confections at Super Chunk Sweets & Treats—such as chocolate bacon caramel corn and mesquite chocolate-chip cookies—are souvenirs worthy of space in your luggage.