Landscape Disconnect: A Study of the City of Tucson's Landscapes in the 20th Century

Abstract

The City of Tucson, Arizona, lies within the Sonoran Desert, yet a large portion of landscapes don’t reflect this ecosystem. The 20th Century brought about this disconnect, which is reflected in how we develop our urban greens spaces. Through the investigation of Tucson’s history with urban green spaces, we find that modern technology mixed with unrealistic ideals fueled an increase in exotic plant species use in commercial and residential landscaping. Through city-wide education programs, increased water use rates, and the implementation of native plant focused ordinances, the city was able mend some past mistakes in developing. Today, there is work we can be doing to improve our efforts, with 83% of residents from a local survey requesting more information on the benefits of Arizona native plants.