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:
Exploring Human-Landscape Connections: Adriana Zuniga ’10 MS Arch, Assistant Research Scientist
Assistant Research Scientist Adriana Zuniga came to CAPLA from Mexico in 2008 to pursue her MS Architecture degree. Since then, she has also earned a PhD in Arid Lands Resources Sciences and has taught and conducted research on human-landscape connections at CAPLA since 2015.
CAPLA Professor Ladd Keith on the Imperative of Planning for Heat Resilience
Assistant Professor of Planning and Sustainable Built Environments Ladd Keith recently published two editorials in important national and international publications. With UArizona Professor of Geography Andrea K. Gerlak he authored “There’s no place in the US safe from the heat” in The Hill, and with ASU Assistant Professor of Geography Sara Meerow he authored “Cities must plan for heat resilience now,” published by Reuters.
Meet Ash Avila ’23 BS SBE, 2022 Transportation Research Board Minority Student Fellow
Ash Avila, a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments student from Nogales, Arizona, who will graduate in 2023, has been awarded an acclaimed Transportation Research Board (TRB) Minority Student Fellowship for 2022. Avila is one of 24 students selected by TRB.
The Materials and Methods of Construction: Eric D. Weber, Associate Professor of Architecture
Associate Professor of Architecture Eric D. Weber joined the college this fall, where he is teaching Design-Build and Techne. Learn more about Eric, including his background in architecture, his construction-focused research and his advice for architecture students.
UArizona Team Led by Architecture Professor Jonathan Bean and Engineering Professor Wolfgang Fink Wins $200,000 ‘American-Made Challenge’ E-ROBOT Prize
wall-EIFS, a robotically applied, 3D-sprayable exterior insulation and finish system for building envelope retrofits, is one of 10 finalist prize winners of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Envelope Retrofit Opportunities for Building Optimization Technologies Prize, or E-ROBOT Prize.
CAPLA Experts: In Wake of COVID-19, Employers Must Make Offices Healing Spaces
Altaf Engineer and Esther Sternberg, two CAPLA professors who study how work and living spaces affect physical and mental health, say the pandemic has forced employers to think about how office spaces can reduce employees' stress and enhance their wellbeing.
Addressing Social and Environmental Issues: Kenneth J. Kokroko, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture
Kenneth J. Kokroko, a CAPLA Master of Landscape Architecture alumnus, joined the college this fall as assistant professor of landscape architecture. Learn more about Kenneth, including his passions for community-based projects, a positive studio experience and plants.
CAPLA Urban Planning Professors Awarded $150,000 in NITC Research Grants
Philip Stoker received a grant from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities to study rural gentrification and the spillover effect while Ladd Keith, Kristina Currans and Nicole Iroz-Elardo received an NITC grant to study cool corridor heat resilience strategies for human-scale transportation.
The Role of Building Emissions in Meeting Climate Change Goals: Architecture Professor Jonathan Bean Interviewed by KJZZ
Jonathan Bean was interviewed by KJZZ Radio regarding the role of building emissions in meeting climate change goals, noting that if we want to get to a zero carbon future by 2050, we must cut emissions from buildings in half by 2030.
CAPLA Assistant Research Scientist Adriana Zuniga and Fellow Researchers Win Best Paper Award from Water International
Adriana Zuniga has been awarded the 2018 Water International Best Paper Award. The editors of Water International choose the winners in three-year cycles, recently naming the 2018, 2019 and 2020 awardees, who will be honored in Korea in December 2021.
Urban Planning Professor Arthur C. Nelson Discusses Bus Rapid Transit Investment in The Washington Post
Arthur C. Nelson, professor of urban planning and real estate development, was quoted in a July 23, 2021 article in The Washington Post on rapid transit and urban growth, referencing a study conducted by Nelson and other UArizona researchers on bus rapid transit sites from 2013-2019.
CAPLA-led Research Team Awarded $150K NOAA Grant to Help American Communities Better Plan for Heat Mitigation
To help bridge government disparate efforts, Ladd Keith is leading an effort called Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard for Heat, or PIRSH, that has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the NOAA Climate Program Office, under its Extreme Heat Risk Initiative.