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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.

Three students stand near tree

CAPLA student teams win national awards for desert tree care

Two University of Arizona student teams earned national awards for advancing desert tree care science and bringing it into everyday practice.
After the hottest summer on record in the U.S., the value of a landscape with robust tree cover is hard to argue against.

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CAPLA Building viewed from Sonoran Pentapus

Projects

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.

bright room with Arizona decor

A Love Letter to the U of A: Laura Vertes, B.Arch '03 Designs the Wildcat Welcome Center

For many, the journey to becoming a Wildcat begins before they ever set foot in a classroom. It might start with a campus tour, a conversation with a student ambassador or a glimpse of Old Main. The Wildcat Welcome Center opened on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and has officially become a cornerstone of that experience. 

Michael Kothe & Kathy Hanox

CAPLA Professor Michael Kothke Wins AIA Award for Casa Luce

CAPLA Professor Michael Kothke and Kathy Hancox won a national AIA Interior Architecture Award for Casa Luce, a Tucson renovation honoring adaptive reuse, sustainability, and the Sonoran Desert.

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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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