At CAPLA, thought leadership on architecture, design, landscape architecture, heritage conservation, real estate development, urban planning, sustainability and much more drives our research, design and practice—resulting in a rich, transformative educational and community experience centered on the built environment.
Read our latest thought leadership, and learn how the CAPLA community is building a changing world:

From Hedgerows on the Prairie to Footsteps on the Moon: A World Heritage Site Evaluator’s Journey
CAPLA Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand discusses the importance of heritage conservation and the fascinating work she does as a "mission expert" and former co-chair of the World Heritage Evaluation Panel for the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

Planning Professor Ladd Keith on Heat as an Emerging Climate Risk for Urban, Low-Income Communities
CAPLA’s Ladd Keith was quoted extensively in a Climate XChange story on how, in Las Vegas, Nevada, hotter days will impact low-income, Black and Brown residents the most.

Architecture Professor of Practice Teresa Rosano Talks Building Accessibility and Inclusivity in New Interview
Teresa Rosano was interviewed on October 28, 2020 by the team at Ascension Wheelchair Lifts. Rosano, who is guiding a universal design studio for third-year B.Arch students that is funded in part by Ascension and its parent company AGM, discusses the future of accessibility in architectural design and more.

New Kid in Town: Missing Middle Housing
There’s a new urban development concept in town—it’s called missing middle housing. And Arthur C. Nelson, CAPLA professor of urban planning and real estate development, had a big part in making it happen, showcased in the new book Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today's Housing Crisis.

Transportation, Health Equity and Social Justice in Regional Transportation Planning
What can fine-scale spatial modeling of health impacts from long-range transportation plans do to support racial and social justice? More than you may realize, according to CAPLA’s Nicole Iroz-Elardo, assistant research professor of planning.

Blueprint for Entrepreneurship: Innovative Architect Diane Reicher Jacobs ’88 B.Arch on Starting Your Own Firm
Diane Reicher Jacobs ’88 B.Arch left behind a successful trajectory in corporate architecture to start architecture firm Holly Street Studio in 1999. Here, she shares three valuable entrepreneurial lessons she's learned for designers and others striking out on their own.

Q&A with Real Estate Development Professor Gary Pivo: Should You Buy or Sell a House During the Pandemic?
Professor of Real Estate Development and Urban Planning Gary Pivo discusses COVID-19's impact on the housing market and what it could mean for prospective home buyers or sellers.

How COVID-19 Can Drive Innovation in Higher Ed: CAPLA Associate Dean of Research Barbara Bryson Pens DesignIntelligence Editorial
Associate Dean for Research, Professor of Practice and The Drachman Institute Director Barbara Bryson challenges design school academic leaders in a call to create opportunity from crises.

Planning Professor Arthur C. Nelson Shares Analysis and Lessons from Development around Tucson’s Sun Link Modern Streetcar
Professor of Planning and Urban Design Arthur C. Nelson teamed with doctoral student Robert Hibberd and MRED and MS Urban Planning students to conduct research highlighted recently in TREND Report.

Healthy Outcomes in Built Environments
The way you lay out your physical environment can reduce stress and create calm, say Assistant Professor of Architecture Altaf Engineer and other researchers from the University of Arizona.

CAPLA Faculty Lead Efforts to Move Design and Studio Courses Online
With all Arizona courses being taught fully online for the remainder of the semester, some faculty members are preparing for a first-time venture. CAPLA faculty quickly came up with a plan to give colleagues a virtual hand.

CAPLA Hosts Interactive Virtual Sessions on Building a Changing World: Leading through Influence
On February 17 and 18, 2020 CAPLA explored questions about leading through influence at two online, interactive events featuring the CAPLA Futures Council, DesignIntelligence President and CEO Dave Gilmore and CAPLA faculty.