I think they're banking on the rest of tempe over there to have a similar growth soon, and use the cable car that is being implemented. It's a gamble it will grow that way, but it seems like most of tempe right now is being overhauled.
Seems like a materialistic evolution. If you're using pieces, picking them up and moving them seems natural. If you're writing it down, it's not as intuitive to erase and rewrite.