The essential research of the CAPLA faculty goes well beyond the fields of design, development, planning and sustainability to the core of how we can live better lives in the built environment.
Faculty research solves problems, impacts decisions and shapes policy. Read our CAPLA faculty research stories:
Drachman Institute celebrates community partners, impact
The Drachman Institute recognized 28 community leaders nominated by CAPLA faculty for their outstanding collaboration and leadership across diverse organizations. These awardees represent a wide range of sectors, including local government, nonprofits, and tribal communities, highlighting the strong partnerships fostered through the Drachman Institute.
Extreme Heat Planning Works: Building on a Proven Platform at the Second Annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit
Held at the University of Arizona’s ENR2 building, the 2nd Annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit brought together experts and community leaders to discuss strategies for extreme heat preparedness, featuring presentations from City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and other officials.
Santa Cruz River moves closer to national designation with guidance from U of A experts
Mackenzie Waller, assistant professor of landscape architecture, leads effort to have portions of the Santa Cruz River added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System.
Improving water conservation and mitigating Arizona's heat island effect
The Arizona Board of Regents held a November showcase at the Arizona Experiment Station's Campus Agricultural Center in Tucson, featuring award-winning research from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University around new smart tree watering techniques.
Guiding a New Era: Kirk Dimond, Landscape Architecture Program Chair and Associate Professor
Kirk Dimond, associate professor of Landscape Architecture, was recently named program chair for the landscape architecture program at CAPLA. Hear about his background in the field and vision for the future.
CAPLA students collaborate with Iskashitaa Refugee Network on experiential learning garden
Last spring, CAPLA Sustainable Built Environments Lecturer Nataliya Apanovich partnered with Iskashitaa Refugee Network to create a study concerning issues among University of Arizona students and United Nation (UN) Refugees.
MLA students honored with American Society of Landscape Architects award in research category
Master of Landscape Architecture students Annalise Hummel, Christian Aguilar Murrieta and Cordell Lee were honored for highlighting the need for smart watering solutions to support tree planting as a cost-effective way to mitigate urban heat.
City of Tucson Adopts Comprehensive Heat Action Roadmap with UArizona Collaboration
Collaborative efforts from City of Tucson leadership and staff, community stakeholders, and University of Arizona faculty to address escalating heat challenges have resulted in the adoption of a newly crafted Heat Action Roadmap and Heat Protection Ordinance for city workers and contractors.
New federally funded center will rely on UArizona expertise to help communities manage extreme heat
A new federal initiative will rely on University of Arizona research and scholarship to help communities across the U.S. create policies and take action to mitigate and manage extreme heat. Ladd Keith, an associate professor in CAPLA, will lead UArizona's involvement in the center.
International Symposium Unites Scholars, Artists, and Architects to Remember Spaces of Internment
The second annual Remembering Spaces of Internment (ReSI) International Symposium convened an interdisciplinary network to study internment sites globally. Co-founder Beth Weinstein discussed ReSI's goals, emphasizing the need to analyze and remember the systemic nature of internment
In the News: Dr. Esther Sternberg Discusses Office Design Impact on Wellbeing, Productivity
University of Arizona professor of medicine Dr. Esther Sternberg, director of the Institute on Place, Well-being and Performance and research director at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, shares her research examining how work environments effect people's health and productivity.
Interdisciplinary Authors Discuss Intersection of Health and the Built Environment in Their New Book
A new interdisciplinary book, "Measuring the Impact of the Built Environment on Health, Wellbeing, and Performance," explores how technology can gauge and enhance health in homes and offices. It offers insights, methodologies and pandemic-related considerations for optimizing building designs