University of Arizona Campus Sustainability Tour

1. ENR2- Nature Inspiring Design

Our tour begins at the Environment & Natural Resources 2 building (ENR2), the flagship building of sustainable design on campus.

The ENR2 building was designed to reduce utility costs while improving the experience for building users.  In fact, the building is  LEED Platinum certified,  which is the highest certification available given by the  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)  rating system. By earning a LEED Platinum certification, ENR2 is recognized as a building committed to sustainable development and architecture. Let’s take a look at some of these unique features.

If you are taking this tour on a hot summer day, you may notice that the “canyon” in ENR2 is cooler than the surrounding areas. The building takes design cues from nature, and is modeled to mimic a  slot canyon . In nature, slot canyons are naturally shady, cool places with good air ventilation, and ENR2 is no different. The concept of emulating designs with inspiration from nature is called  biomimicry . To assist with natural ventilation, there are large fans fitted in the outdoor walkways. ENR2 also recycles  HVAC  air that has already cooled the interior of the building by circulating it back out to cool the canyon area as well.

ENR2 features an impressive  rainwater harvesting  system. Rainfall on the roof and in the courtyard is captured and directed, along with air conditioning condensate, into the 52,000 gallon tank under ENR2. This water is then used to irrigate the plants throughout the building. If harvested water runs out, the building then uses  reclaimed water  from the city for irrigation, which is a more sustainable alternative than clean drinking water.   

Finally, if you are able to make your way to the roof of the building, you will see an elevated solar panel array that provides shade for building users and, beneath it, a garden of 35 native pollinator friendly plants. This is the  ENR2 Rooftop Photovoltaic Project (PV+) , built with the goal of researching how plants react to growing in the shade of solar panels on rooftops versus in direct sunlight. Phase 3 of the project began in August 2021 and the rooftop is now an active research site.

For more information about ENR2, check out the virtual  ENR2 self-guided tour .

Directions to Next Stop: Head east on Lowell Street to the Laboratory of Tree Ring Research.  Click here for  directions . 

2. Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building

Have you ever wondered how scientists know what forests looked like centuries ago? At the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, scientists examine core samples and cross-sections of trees to understand how  weather  patterns and natural disasters have changed our forests over hundreds of years. Scientists look at the thickness of tree rings to learn how weather patterns have changed over the years. The study of tree rings is called  dendrochronology , and it was pioneered and formally  founded at the University of Arizona .

The study of dendrochronology has provided evidence that climate change has been accelerated due to human activity. Tree ring growth patterns and fire scars have also shown us that decades of poor forest management practices have actually  increased the likelihood of large wildfires , not decreased them. Forest fires were more common  before settlers arrived  to the West, but they were much less severe and they did not spread very quickly or very far. Tree rings and core samples have been used to observe fire scars and determine patterns in wildfires for times before historical records became available. Tree records have shown that forest fire intensity has been growing in recent history. Scientists suspect that this is due to a buildup of fuel in the forests, longer dry spells caused by  droughts , and increased  summer temperatures  due to global warming. These factors came together in the summer of 2020 as the memorable Big Horn Fire burned in the Santa Catalina Mountains just North of Tucson. This was the largest wildfire in Tucson’s history.

The research at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research shows that climate change is happening and that we can use science to prove this. This is an example of how researchers at the University of Arizona are using scientific data to answer climate-related questions, and to find out what lessons can be learned to combat the effects of climate change.

Directions to Next Stop: Head east to the Highland Quad.  Click here for directions. 

3. Green Living on Campus 

Meeting people with similar interests can be one of the most daunting parts of studying at a university. Luckily for students living in dorms who are interested in leading a more sustainable lifestyle and protecting the environment,  Housing and Residential Life  offers multiple programs for students to get together and engage in sustainability efforts throughout the dorms. This tour stop takes you to the Highland Quad, just in front of three LEED Certified dorms on campus (on the east side of the Quad). Here are some of the options for students looking to get involved with sustainability in dorms!

 EcoReps  is a team made up of students in campus housing who are responsible for putting together sustainability programs for all residents to participate in. This is a great way for students to meet other students who are passionate about environmental issues in their first weeks at the University. EcoReps advocates for programs such as RecycleMania, Dodge the Dumpster, and Battle of the Utilities. From 2018 to 2019 these programs managed to divert thousands of pounds of recyclable materials from landfills.

Every year, Housing and Residence Life organizes two contests for dorms to create some friendly competition. During RecycleMania, dorms compete against each other to divert the most material away from the landfill, focusing on reducing waste and increasing recycling. In 2019, residents recycled almost 20,000 pounds of materials. Residents also diverted an additional 106,114 pounds of materials from landfills and toward local thrift stores and the  UArizona Campus Pantry  through the  Dodge the Dumpster  move-out program.  Battle of the Utilities  is another way that students can live sustainably on campus. From 2018-2019, Battle of the Utilities led students to reduce water and electricity consumption by 9% and 11.5% respectively.

While the residents of the dorms are working towards living a more sustainable lifestyle, the dorms they live in are also contributing to reducing the carbon footprint of students. For example, the Villa del Puente dorm has solar panels on its roof to power the building! Other sustainability efforts in housing include multiple LEED Certified dorms, solar panel installations on top of other residential buildings, and installing  low-flow  water devices in every dorm to save water.

Directions to Next Stop: Head west toward E 4th St.  Click here for directions .

4. Old Main Sustainability Features

The next stop of the tour brings us to UArizona’s most iconic building - Old Main. This building was the first building built on campus in 1886, before Arizona was even a state. Thousands of people pass by this building every day, but few stop to appreciate the smart designs and building techniques that make it the campus’ original sustainable building!

Old Main was built in a time before air conditioning and electricity when architects had to design around the harsh Tucson summers to create buildings that were self-cooling. To combat the heat, Old Main was built a few feet into the ground to cool the building with its lower and more stable temperatures. This form of natural cooling is called  geothermal regulation . The upper floors are cooled by open breezeways, high ceilings, and wide hallways that allow for ample air circulation. A wrap-around patio overhangs the first floor which shades and protects the building from the sun.

The landscaping around Old Main intentionally mimics the natural desert surrounding Tucson, and is engineered to help reduce water consumption. Drought resistant plants and low water use landscapes can reduce water consumption by anywhere from  50 to 75% , which is very important because Tucson only receives twelve inches of rain per year and most of that comes from summer monsoons and winter storms.

 Old Main was renovated in 2014  and earned a LEED Silver Certification, making it the  oldest LEED certified building  in the state! The original sustainable aspects of the building still remain, but plumbing, lighting, and electrical fixtures were updated to make the building more energy efficient. Over the years, intensive landscape watering and monsoon rains left the old foundation in a weak state, even causing the building to sink into the ground! Today, the landscape around the building helps to protect the structural integrity of Old Main by diverting water away from its foundation.

Because Old Main holds such a historical significance in the Wildcat community, plans for renovations were centered around historical preservation so that the building can be appreciated and used for another 100 years!

Directions to Next Stop: Head toward the east side of Old Main.  Click here for directions .

5. Bike Services on Campus

Did you know that Tucson ranked 13th overall as  one of the best cities for biking  in 2020, out of more than 550 cities and towns across the U.S.? In 2010, it was  estimated  that 3,944 students, faculty and staff biked to the UArizona campus everyday. The many benefits of biking to school or work include skipping morning traffic, improving mental and physical health, and reducing your carbon footprint. With more than twelve miles of bike paths and three pedestrian and bike underpasses around campus, the University of Arizona is committed to creating an efficient, safe, and enjoyable biking environment on campus for students, staff, and community members.

 Parking and Transportation Services  (PTS) offers free valet parking for cyclists at two locations on campus: one in front of the Nugent Building and the other along the Warren bike path north of Helen Street. Campus users can drop off their bikes with bike valet attendants and go! This provides students, faculty, employees, and community members a convenient, safe and secure way to park a bike on campus. Parking your bike shouldn’t be an issue, though, as there are over 11,500 bike parking spaces on campus! If you ever find yourself biking through campus and your bike gets a flat tire, head to the Free UArizona campus  Bicycle Repair Shop  located next to the Nugent Bike Valet. There you will find knowledgeable technicians who can help with minor repairs. If you are not able to make it to the  Bike Repair station  on campus, there are four free self-repair stations for minor bike repairs located across campus.

The University also has  bicycle lockers and enclosures  for rent all across campus for commuters that decide to skip buying a traditional parking permit. By supporting bike infrastructure, bike valet, the Bicycle Repair Shop, and self-repair bike stations, the University of Arizona is creating a more bikeable urban environment for all campus users.

Directions to Next Stop: Head east on E University Blvd toward N Santa Rita Ave.  Click here for directions .

6. Bringing Food Full Circle

Located in the center of campus, the Student Union Memorial Center (SUMC) is the primary location for student life. Inside, students can find dining options, offices for ASUA programs such as  Students for Sustainability , the Bookstore, and even a rooftop greenhouse! As the hub of campus activity, the Student Union is where many sustainability-related student resources are located.

The  Campus Closet  collects donated clothes as a resource for students and faculty to use if they do not have access to appropriate clothes for professional or daily needs. The Campus Closet holds distribution days regularly, and their  Instagram page  is updated to reflect upcoming dates.

The  Campus Pantry , located on the first floor of the SUMC, is dedicated to eradicating food insecurity on campus and provides students, staff, and faculty access to food for free. The Pantry collects donated food items from around the city, but also receives donations from within SUMC. For example, the  Boxing up Hunger  program uses a blast freezer to prepare, freeze, and distribute meals made up of food that is left over from catering events and would have otherwise been thrown away. SUMC also has a student-run  rooftop greenhouse  to grow fresh produce for the Campus Pantry. Nationwide,  up to 30%  of undergraduate students have experienced food insecurity at some point during their time in college, and this number has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, the Campus Pantry was a vital resource that many students and faculty depended on.

Food waste in the Student Union is limited as much as possible, with composting available for back-of-house services and for post-consumer compost. Restaurant kitchens can have their compost picked up and taken to the  Los Reales Landfill  along with compost from bins on campus. SUMC is a part of Tucson’s  Food Cycle program , thanks to the partnership between the City of Tucson and the  UArizona Compost Cats , a Program of the University of Arizona Office of Sustainability.

The Student Union is where students can find food and clothing that is sustainably sourced and easily accessible during the school year. It is also a place where students can grow, harvest, distribute, and access food year-round.

Directions to Next Stop: Head east on E University Blvd toward N Highland Ave.  Click here for directions .

7. Cactus Garden- A Low Water Use Landscape

Just south of the SUMC is the Cactus Garden! Located in the heart of the UArizona campus, the Cactus Garden displays some of the amazing plant species that thrive in the surrounding region. UArizona is located in an ecological hotspot, the Sonoran Desert, which is biologically rich with cacti, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation with unique adaptations to the water-scarce, hot climate. The Cactus Garden was created just after the University of Arizona opened, and it has continued to grow and evolve alongside the University for the last 120 years.

Low-water use landscapes such as the Cactus Garden help to reduce water demand for landscaping. It may seem obvious that we must preserve a limited resource like water in the desert, but what does it actually mean to create low-water use landscapes on campus? Due to a lack of consistent rain, Tucson has historically relied on groundwater from the  aquifer underneath the city . An  aquifer  is a pocket of water underground that rests in between rock or sediment and is located within the water table. A water table is the level below the Earth’s surface where water sits in aquifers and rests in sediments.  When landscapes are designed in harmony with the desert environment, they can help to recharge the Tucson aquifer rather than depleting it.

The aquifer under Tucson sustained the entire city up until the 1940’s. As the population of the city grew, the water demand became too large and the water table began to drop because the city was using more water than what was being replaced by rainwater and snowmelt. Much of the water demand at this time went toward maintaining green lawns. There has been a  movement in Tucson  over the past 50 years to now replace lawns with low-water use landscapes. Over time, groundwater has become less accessible, which has led to an increase in conservation practices, such as the installation of low-water use infrastructure like our Cactus Garden.

The wide variety of native species found in the Cactus Garden is just a small example of plants that have adapted to survive in the intense heat and freezing temperatures of the Sonoran Desert. This Garden helps remind community members about the natural environment around campus and will hopefully inspire future generations to protect its incredible biodiversity.

Directions to Next Stop: Head northeast toward E University Blvd.  Click here for directions .

8. Designing for People, Not Cars

The bike path and walkway that surrounds the Student Union Memorial Center is the next stop on this Sustainability Tour. You might wonder why bike lanes and sidewalks make an appearance on this tour, but they are wonderful examples of the University’s dedication to sustainable design concepts. If you’re taking this tour on a hot summer day, you might be enjoying the shaded path you are now on compared to an exposed, hot walkway. This is an important design to promote cycling and walking, making it more comfortable to get across campus on those toasty Tucson days.

These bike paths and walkways are examples of pedestrian scale corridors, which means they were designed specifically for pedestrian use, and these passages are all over campus. Many portions of campus are designed on a pedestrian scale instead of an automotive scale, making the campus feel more welcoming for people, not cars. Corridors like this one provide seating and shade for pedestrians and cyclists looking to get out of the heat. They also provide safety by creating a dedicated space away from busy streets. Depending on the time when you are taking this tour, you will see that these corridors are quite popular on campus, as students use these spaces in between classes. Walkways that are shaded by trees are much more pleasant and enjoyable to walk on than unshaded sidewalks along busy roads, especially when the Arizona sun is out in full force.

The network of on-campus bike paths makes it easier for students and faculty to bike around the University, while the neighboring Third Street and Mountain Avenue bike paths help bike commuters easily reach campus from home. By including sustainable pedestrian scale corridors in the design of campus, the University is making it an easier choice for campus users to get out of their cars and pick more sustainable modes of transportation.

Directions to Next Stop: Head north on N Highland Ave.  Click here for directions .

9. Bikes, Trains, and Automobiles

Students, faculty and staff have a number of options for how they choose to commute to campus, thanks to the University’s central location and proximity to Downtown Tucson. On this stop of the tour, we can see many of the different ways that people can get to campus: for example, they can drive, take the  Cat Tran , use  TuGo Bike Sharing , walk, or take the  Sun Link Streetcar . This is called  multimodal  transportation because multiple modes, or methods, of transportation are available at one location. Visitors can access the UArizona Mall, go to classes, and explore downtown from this transportation hub.

City and campus planners have carefully chosen the routes and placement of the streetcar and bus stops to create these multimodal hubs throughout campus,  allowing campus users to commute in a way that is most convenient for them. These locations are some of the busiest locations on campus due to their proximity to most campus buildings and the central route spanning campus. Whether you drive, bike, or walk to campus, the multimodal transportation hubs are where all of these transportation options intersect. Having access to the streetcar, bike sharing, a parking structure, pedestrian walkways and bike paths all at the same time makes getting around campus easier than ever before!

Another goal of multimodal transportation is to help campus users choose more sustainable transportation. Even though the parking structures and roadways on campus support the use of cars on campus, there are many other options that are made accessible through the multimodal infrastructure. A key component to sustainable transportation is to shift away from automobile-dependent infrastructure, and the development and investment in multimodal transportation across campus is one example of how UArizona is making that shift. Reducing the number of cars on campus can also help lower our  scope 3 emissions  to help us reach our  2040 carbon neutrality goal  while reducing congestion and making campus a safer place for cyclists and pedestrians.

Directions to Next Stop: Head west.  Click here for directions .

10. Solar Panels on 2nd Street Garage

At some point during this tour you may have wondered, “How does a school as big as the University of Arizona get enough energy to power the entire campus, and is there a way to do this sustainably?” And you know what? That’s a great question! According to the UArizona Office of Sustainability,  the school consumes  as much power as 22,000 average American homes annually. The energy for campus comes from the local power company, Tucson Electric Power; , from two power plants on campus, and from solar panels installed across campus! If you look at the top of the Second Street Garage, you will see a solar array that also provides shade for parked cars. Solar installations like this help the University reduce the amount of fossil fuel-based energy that it consumes. This installation alone provides  415,000kWh of energy , offsetting 287 metric tons of CO2 per year. That’s the same amount of energy that 38 US homes use in a year! 

UArizona is  committed to being carbon neutral by 2040 . This commitment is exemplified by the landmark  agreement that UArizona entered into with Tucson Electric Power  (TEP), which requires that all of the energy that the University buys from TEP be from  renewable sources  such as solar and wind power. This important/pivotal agreement came into effect in Spring 2021, and amazingly, has since allowed the University to completely eliminate all of its scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions!  Scope 2 emissions  are indirect emissions that are produced from energy purchased from an energy company. The agreement between the University and TEP is the  largest campus-utility bilateral agreement  in North America and has enabled the University of Arizona to slash its greenhouse gas footprint by nearly one-third.

The solar structure on top of the 2nd Street Garage, alongside other solar installations on campus like the one on the rooftop of the ENR2 building, are a reminder to the Wildcat community that we will continue to support renewable energy in order to reach carbon neutrality by 2040.

Directions to Next Stop: Head north on N Mountain Ave.  Click here for directions .

11. Permeable Parking and Our Aquifer

Since many members of the campus community drive their cars to the University, it is important to make sure that parking accommodations are also as sustainable as possible to reduce the environmental impacts of traveling by car. Lot 3140 is our next tour stop, and before you pass by this parking lot, take a second to guess what this parking lot has to do with the aquifer and our drinking water!

At stop #8, the Cactus Garden, we learned about the  Tucson aquifer and water table . Paved parking lots in Tucson disrupt the flow of water to the aquifer because they are  impermeable , meaning that rainwater cannot pass through the pavement and soak into the ground, and then the aquifer below. Lot 3140 on the other hand, is made with permeable pavers that allow water to flow directly into the groundwater system while providing a strong surface for vehicles to park on.

Green infrastructure projects like Lot 3140 are helping to refill our aquifer. To provide some quick history, in 1993, the City of Tucson started receiving water from the  Central Arizona Project  (CAP). This project allowed water to be pumped 336 miles across the state from the Colorado River, specifically Lake Havasu, to areas in central Arizona, including Tucson.  Tucson Water is recharging  the water from CAP into our Tucson aquifer to help raise the water table and provide safe drinking water for years to come. Even though the CAP is the main water supply for Tucson, green infrastructure projects like permeable parking lots are still critical to help maintain and restore water levels in the Tucson aquifer.

The University of Arizona is committed to adopting sustainable practices that will ensure that we have a clean water source for years to come. Thanks to the CAP and green infrastructure projects like Lot 3140, Tucson is seeing its water table rise.

Directions to Next Stop: Head south on N Mountain Ave.  Click here for directions .

12. Trees and Climate Resilience

Now that you have almost completed the tour, you undoubtedly have noticed that the air under the shade of trees is much cooler than the air when you are walking openly under the bright sun. These few degrees can make a big difference in the desert! Our beautiful  Campus Arboretum  has a special collection of hundreds of native and arid-adapted trees. All of these trees effectively turn the campus into an  urban forest .

The term “urban forest” describes tree cover in urban areas. Urban forests provide many benefits to their surroundings, such as filtering and cleaning the air, conserving energy by shading buildings, providing a habitat for wildlife, and adding beauty to the built environment. Current urban design strategies emphasize the use of trees and the creation of urban forests because they make densely populated environments healthier and more comfortable to live in.

The Campus Arboretum not only serves as an aesthetic feature, it’s also one of the best solutions to help advance sustainability on campus, mitigate climate change, and fight for social equity. Trees can be used as a tool to bridge social gaps in cities by  increasing tree equity . What does  tree equity  mean? In many areas of the country that are historically lower-income or otherwise marginalized, decades of discriminatory policies and redlining have led to a lack of tree cover and limited access to other natural resources. This has prevented residents from experiencing the same benefits as more affluent communities.

Beyond the climate mitigation and social justice benefits, urban forests also reduce the  Urban Heat Island Effect , which occurs when cities cover natural landscapes with surfaces that absorb and retain heat, such as asphalt and pavement. The Urban Heat Island Effect causes energy bills to be higher in urban areas because of the increase in energy required to cool buildings. It also raises levels of air pollution and is connected to an increase in heat-related illness. Tucson is ranked as one of the  fastest warming cities  in the United States, which makes urban forests like our Campus Arboretum ever more valuable to the UArizona community.

Directions to Next Stop: Turn left onto N Olive Rd.  Click here for directions .

13. CAPLA and the Underwood Garden Urban Oasis

On the north side of campus you will find the  College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture , often referred to as CAPLA. Nestled between the CAPLA building and the parking lot to the south is the  Underwood Family Sonoran Landscape Laboratory . This garden acts as an urban oasis – a place where Wildcats can go to observe wildlife and enjoy a desert refuge right on campus. Just above the Underwood Garden is the CAPLA Green Wall. This wall has been transformed from a blank canvas into a lattice of greenery that shades the building from the sun and acts as a habitat for wildlife.

Studies have shown that spending time in natural areas like the Underwood Garden can have strong positive psychological impacts. Being surrounded by urban settings that lack green space often leads to increases in  stress levels, fear, and even sadness , but by incorporating natural landscapes such as the Underwood garden into urban settings, these negative psychological effects can actually be reversed!

As we near the end of the tour, you may notice some of the same concepts that we have already discussed, such as  biomimicry ,  rainwater harvesting , and the  Urban Heat Island Effect , appearing here as well. Each of these concepts is present in the landscape behind the CAPLA building. Using biomimicry, a space was designed on campus that mimics the cooling effects and benefits often found in  riparian areas . The garden’s fountain and pond utilize mostly recycled sources of water including drinking fountain gray water, stormwater runoff, and HVAC condensate. When it rains, runoff from the roof turns the fountain into a waterfall and the garden’s landscape is able to hold up to 10,500 gallons of water to recharge into the aquifer. Green walls such as the one behind the CAPLA building help to reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect by providing shade for the building and cooling the building façade as a result.

CAPLA is leading the way on campus when it comes to designing urban settings to mitigate the effects of climate change. CAPLA is exploring the creation of sustainable urban settings and leading by example when it comes to incorporating sustainable development into well-established urban areas.

Directions to Next Stop: Turn right toward E Speedway Blvd.  Click here for directions .