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:
Planning Professor Philip Stoker on How an Infrastructure Bill Can Help Rural Communities in the West
In an article by Deseret News examining possible impacts of an infrastructure bill in the rural West, Philip Stoker speaks to elements contained in President Biden's proposed infrastructure bill, including “soft infrastructure” such as housing.
Sustainable Built Environments Faculty Provide Insight on New Study of Urban Heat Disparities in Tucson and Other Western Cities
New research on neighborhood-by-neighborhood heat differences across Tucson—and 19 other cities in the West—has garnered additional insight by Assistant Professor of Planning and Sustainable Built Environments Ladd Keith and Assistant Research Scientist Adriana Zuniga.
A Form of Meditation: Robert Miller, Director, School of Architecture and Professor of Architecture
Robert Miller, who joined CAPLA in 2010 as director of the School of Architecture, is stepping down as school director in June 2022. Learn more about Miller's experience at UArizona and before, as well as his passion for drawing, insight on academic administration and more.
Dallas, Texas Turns to CAPLA Planning and Sustainable Built Environments Professor and ULI for Guidance Following Natural Disasters
Ladd Keith, assistant professor of planning and sustainable built environments, chaired the Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel that evaluated and made recommendations on rebuilding a Dallas neighborhood following a devastating tornado. Keith also provided insight into the recent Texas power grid failure.
Dwelling in Meaning: Laura Hollengreen, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Architecture
Laura Hollengreen, who has worked at CAPLA twice in her career, is researching theories of virtual and augmented reality to understand how some effects of digital media today were foreshadowed by immersive techniques in art and architecture of the past, especially medieval art, her area of expertise.
Harvesting Sunlight and Plant Power on UArizona's Greenest Building
New solar panels and a rooftop garden on the university's ENR2 building, a project headed by a team that includes Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture Kirk Dimond and Professor of Landscape Architecture Margaret Livingston, not only generate electricity but also create unique environmental research opportunities.
Research by Assistant Planning Professor Philip Stoker Provides Context for Deseret News Story on Housing Affordability and Other Challenges in ‘Gateway Communities’
In an examination of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Springdale, Utah, Deseret News asks: What to do when your small town is overrun by the rich? CAPLA Assistant Professor Philip Stoker’s research provides insight.
Forbes Housing Affordability Story References Research by Urban Planning and Real Estate Development Professor Arthur C. Nelson
Research on “missing middle housing” conducted by CAPLA Professor Arthur C. Nelson forms the basis for analysis in a February 2021 Forbes magazine story on how innovation can help offset America’s lack of affordable housing.
Creating a Culture of Predictable Outcomes: CAPLA Associate Dean Barbara Bryson Publishes New Book on Leading in Architecture and Construction Industry
Creating a Culture of Predictable Outcomes: How Leadership, Collaboration and Decision-Making Drive Architecture and Construction demonstrates the critical importance of value-driven culture in the changing design and construction industries.
Research by Architecture Professor Courtney Crosson Shows that Neighborhood Farms Could be the Answer to Tucson's 'Food Deserts'
A study co-authored by Assistant Professor of Architecture Courtney Crosson makes a strong case that even in arid climates, urban farms can help neighborhoods get the nutritious food they need if the farms are irrigated in a sustainable way.
Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning Professor Bo Yang Awarded Research Grant to Examine Spatial Patterns of Green Infrastructure
Awarded to Yang and three other researchers, the four-year grant by the National Natural Science Foundation of China explores green infrastructure interactions with microclimate and stormwater at the urban block level.
Building a Common Vision: Elena Cánovas, Professor of Practice in Architecture
Professor of Practice in Architecture Elena Cánovas, who came to CAPLA in 2017 from Barcelona, views service as "being a part of a community that works together to build a common vision. This is a fundamental role of architects in society.”