As the largest and most diverse municipality in the Southwest, the city of Phoenix has pushed the boundaries of development and construction. As an owner, the city has worked with nearly every construction firm in the Southwest and has influenced scores of others with its drive to collaborate and streamline its construction processes.

The city's far-reaching influence includes acting as a permitter, developer and customer. But it is both the city's foresight and the depth of its projects that have earned Phoenix recognition as ENR Southwest's Owner of the Year. Industry firms say they clamor to work on jobs for the city, thanks to Phoenix's high level of professionalism and construction knowledge.