As local broker George Larsen celebrated 50 years on the Tucson commercial real estate scene, Arizona Daily Star asked: What are some of the biggest developments of the past five decades? From new shopping malls to resorts, manufacturing plants and midtown high-rises, the landscape of Tucson has changed dramatically since 1970. This visual trip down memory lane published in the Tucson newspaper was made possible with research done by the graduating classes of 2021 and 2022 from the University of Arizona Master of Real Estate Development Program and College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, along with appraisers Baker & Associates Inc.

50 Years of Commercial Real Estate Development in Tucson, Arizona Daily Star

Community Partners and Consultants

CCIM, Southern Arizona Chapter
Arizona Daily Star
Baker & Associates, Inc.

Gallery

Images courtesy Arizona Daily Star.

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Sustainable Built Environments

Dec 22, 2025

Gather Light: ARC 201

Students in CAPLA’s ARC 201 studio, guided by faculty including Christopher Domin and others, completed the "Gather Light" project focused on understanding and designing in harmony with the Sonoran Desert environment. Through observation, drawing, and modeling, students explored how light, nature, and architecture interact. Key activities involved studying desert plants, translating their forms into design systems, and developing canopies that filter light and enhance outdoor spaces. The project emphasized hands-on learning, teamwork, and iterative design using 2D and 3D representations to create thoughtful architectural interventions that respect and respond to the desert landscape.

Sustainable Built Environments

Thought Leadership

Dec 16, 2025

Lecturer Christopher Tucker wins AIA Design Pedagogy Award for innovative Abiotic Studio

Christopher Tucker, a lecturer in architecture at CAPLA, received the American Institute of Architects’ Design Pedagogy Award for his Abiotic Studio, a fourth-year course that challenges students to engage with ecological realities and reimagine post-industrial landscapes through more-than-human perspectives.