That's true, Phoenix does have some impressive, shiny new buildings. The new Intel factory being a standout example. The infrastructure is solid. The airport and light rail are shiny and new.
It has its share of ugly areas, but as a whole I think the city is well-managed and modern.
Infrastructure in the US should have been updated decades ago.
Finally, the mood shifted economically-politically. Now there are huge sums of money going into building next generation infrastructure, manufacturing facilities, etc. in the last 2-3 years alone.
Check the news, it might surprise you. The US is in the midst of a big transformation. So is Mexico, since we're talking about it.
It'll take 5–10 years to really see it, but it's happening...
Being able to live car-free been a huge stress relief.
I used to drive 2 hours every day to go to work and live my regular life.
Now, I hardly ever drive unless I rent a car or driving a friend/family's car.
Sure, not having a car can be inconvenient sometimes. It would be *nice to have*... But it's really not a big deal.
You're spot-on about the stress of car ownership.
If you can swing a car-free lifestyle by going nomadic, go for it.
Just understand that you'll be trading this convenience for the inconvenience of living in a new place.