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The Studio

How the CAPLA community is building a changing world.

In The Studio, you'll find stories, thought leadership, profiles, and project narratives and galleries by and about the CAPLA community of faculty, staff, alumni and students.

The head of a green stalk of wheat stands in focus against a lush agricultural field at the base of a desert mountain.

Mission Garden, Food, Culture, History | Lecture by Alyce Sadongei and Efren Martinez

This presentation explores the Tucson Mission Garden's history and the agricultural traditions of the many cultures that have farmed this land over time, and introduces the garden’s newer plots. Sadongei and Martinez discuss the challenges of growing food as Tucson’s seasons become hotter and drier, offering lessons that connect history, culture, and the future of sustainable food systems in the desert Southwest.

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CAPLA Building viewed from Sonoran Pentapus

Projects

Woman stands in landscape

CAPLA’s Ella Parsons earns national recognition for reimagining traditional desert architecture

CAPLA Student Ella Parsons earned national recognition for Aguán, a project that looks to the Sonoran Desert’s longstanding building traditions to inform a sustainable relationship between architecture and the natural world.

Man stands outdoors

CAPLA’s Reef Townsend earns national recognition for sustainable desert architecture

CAPLA Student Reef Townsend earned national recognition for Arid Futures Pavilion, a design that explores how contemporary architecture can respond to the Sonoran Desert through thoughtful site integration, material choices and sustainability.

cars parked along road

Philip Stoker Leads Effort to Modernize Lake Tahoe’s Sustainable Recreation Plan

For decades, the Lake Tahoe Basin has worked to balance preserving the region’s renowned natural beauty and recreational opportunities with accommodating the millions of visitors and growing communities drawn to the area. A team of researchers from the University of Arizona, University of Utah and Vancouver Island University is taking on that challenge through a two-year, $350,000 project to modernize Lake Tahoe’s sustainable recreation goals.

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Research

Why some Western gateway towns boom while others fade: University of Arizona study sorts them into 8 types

Philip Stoker and his research team identify eight types of gateway communities based on tourism appeal, accessibility and growth limits, helping local leaders better guide development and shape their communities’ futures.

Photovoice Elevates Community Voices on Greenspace and Health

CAPLA faculty, students and researchers joined SCORCH’s Greenspaces and Health Photovoice Study, a participatory project that invited community members to document how parks, trees and other green spaces shape their health and daily lives. The collaboration highlights CAPLA’s interdisciplinary approach to research and design, connecting community voices, public health and the built environment.

Tucson Grown

University of Arizona alumnus and faculty member Ladd Keith has become a nationally recognized leader in extreme heat resilience, translating research into policies that help communities adapt to rising temperatures. His work has shaped federal and international heat governance while advancing the university's land-grant mission of creating practical solutions for society.

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