of the Sonoran Desert
Embracing Urban Nature: Connecting People and Landscapes in the Built Environment.
by Christian Aguilar Murrieta
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A Master’s Report to be submitted to the University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Landscape Architecture.
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2025
This project explores human perspectives on urban wildlife, as well as existing efforts to integrate nature into the city. Interviews were conducted with local leaders and influencers who work with and for nature in the built environment. In each interview, they had the opportunity to discuss their work and their thoughts on the future of Tucson. Each interviewee was assigned a geographic area within Tucson, mapping their work and area of ​​influence and highlighting design solutions to connect people with nature. The goal of this project is to inspire people to integrate nature into their lives as urban dwellers, as well as to learn about the work the interviewees are doing and join these efforts in their own capacity.
The map below shows the locations where government agencies and nonprofit organizations have worked. The use of nature-based solutions is significant at these sites and is contributing to the creation of potential life corridors for humans and wildlife in Tucson.
As a form of divide and conquer, the study's geographic limitations are contained within The Loop, a shared-use path network with over 100 miles of paved trails dedicated to the use of cyclists, pedestrians, and equestrians. The map was divided into ten "areas of influence" to identify the people who represented each, either through their work or personal connections. The interviewees were assigned to each area, and the interviews, as well as the videos, reveal their connection to that landscape and geographic area. The videos are organized into parts, which are numbered just like the numbered areas on the map.
PART 1: The Beginning at Tumamoc Hill with Robert Villa
Robert is the Community Outreach Assistant at the Desert Laboratory of Tumamoc Hill and the President of the Tucson Herpetological Society. Robert graciously shares with us his work, his passion for reptiles and his thoughts about the role that Tumamoc Hill plays in the urban fabric of Tucson.
PART 2: In Tune with Nature at Time Market with Luis Salgado
Luis is the Green Infrastructure Project Manager at WMG, where he works closely with the community to create GSI Projects in the City of Tucson and South Tucson. Luis shares with us a bit of his personal journey in finding his place in the GSI world, as well as his perspectives on nature in the city and how sometimes everything in nature seems to be in tune, just like music.
PART 3: Healing with Pocket Parks at Jackie Kinman Butterfly Garden with Nichole Casebeer
PART 3: Healing with Pocket Parks at Jackie Kinman Butterfly Garden with Nichole Casebeer. Nichole is the Project Manager and Landscape Designer for the Pima County Flood Control District. She shares with us two pocket parks in central and south Tucson, whose creation she participated in and learned about the power of GSI as a tool for social transformation and a way to heal our relationship with nature in the city.
PART 4: Rain Gardens and Arroyos at Poets Square with Joaquin Murrieta
Joaquin is the Cultural Ecologist Director at WMG, where he specializes in building resilience in diverse communities by enhancing connections between people, culture, and natural resources. Joaquín shares his thoughts and hopes for the City of Tucson and its connection to nature, as well as the importance of community, embracing rain and wildlife in the built environment.
PART 5: Riding The Loop with Justin Risley.
Justin is the Communications Coordinator for Native Seeds SEARCH and a passionate cyclist. He shares his journey to Tucson five years ago, when he just graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with degrees in Journalism and Sustainable Community Development, and how he finds ways to connect with nature in his neighborhood and The Loop.
