TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A new study led by University of Arizona Associate Professor Adriana Zuniga‑Teran argues that Tucson’s urban greening programs will be more effective if they are designed around the needs and realities of vulnerable, low‑income communities.
VIDEO: Watch local experts share their thoughts:
Published in Geoforum and titled “Beyond Native Plants: Aligning Greening Programs with Disadvantaged Communities’ Landscape Needs for More Equitable Green Infrastructure Planning," the paper compares the structure of local greening initiatives with the preferences and constraints of marginalized residents. The study, summarized by the U of A School of Geography, Development & Environment, finds that benefits such as cooler temperatures, better air quality and reduced flood risk often accumulate more readily in wealthier neighborhoods.
Zuniga‑Teran says the imbalance stems in part from procedural barriers: wealthier residents are more likely to know about programs, understand application processes and participate in planning meetings, which shapes municipal priorities. “If the existing greening programs do not align with low‑income communities’ situation or needs, then these programs will not be adopted in low‑income areas, making them more vulnerable to climate change and enhancing inequities in the distribution of resources,” she said.
Zuniga‑Teran and her co‑authors argue that cities can build green infrastructure that cools streets and captures stormwater while fostering fairness, trust and long‑term resilience across all neighborhoods.
Local practitioners say equity‑focused greening also creates jobs and community ownership
Local advocates and program staff say that pairing greening with workforce development, long‑term maintenance and community‑driven outreach helps close gaps the study identifies.
Angelantonio Enriquez Breault, Climate Equity Workforce and Education Director at Tucson Clean & Beautiful, framed greening as both environmental investment and an economic opportunity. He stressed that nature‑based work can create local careers that directly benefit neighborhoods: “These are careers that also directly benefit the communities within their base,” he said. “When you're able to provide jobs that connect to the visual material improvements that you're witnessing in your built environment, that's two for one, right? So there's the environmental, but also the sociocultural economic benefits that come with that.”
Breault described the NatureWorks green stormwater infrastructure entry‑level career program — a 12‑week training cohort followed by a paid 12‑week internship — as an example of how to link workforce pathways to on‑the‑ground improvements. “We have eight individuals going through a cohort right now,” he said, describing training in arboriculture, rainwater harvesting and invasive species management. “At the end of this program, we get to place these individuals and pay them for another 12 weeks at an internship.”
Storm to Shade: projects, maintenance and incentives
Tucson Water’s Storm to Shade program, which is already focused on neighborhoods with high need, is an example municipal officials point to when describing actions local government is taking. Storm to Shade (S2S) is the City of Tucson's Green Stormwater Infrastructure program. S2S installs new Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) on public property throughout the City of Tucson and maintains new and (select) existing GSI.
Xochitl Coronado‑Vargas, Public Information Officer/Coordinator for Tucson Water’s Storm to Shade program, said the recently completed South 12th Avenue project will soon enter an establishment period: “All the plants require a little extra care the first two years that they are in the ground. The contractor does the very first year of establishment. And after the first year, we take over… and after those two years, we continue the ongoing long‑term maintenance.” Coronado‑Vargas added that maintenance includes cleaning inlets and outlets, trash removal, pruning or plant replacement, invasive species control and irrigation repairs.
She also highlighted other south‑side projects intended to remove excess asphalt, basinet stormwater runoff and plant native vegetation — including a parking‑lot conversion at Mission Manor Park and landscape improvements at the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center along Irvington Road. The El Pueblo work will use existing roof downspouts to channel stormwater into planted basins, increasing shade, pollinator habitat and native vegetation, she said.
Coronado‑Vargas notes that Storm to Shade is funded in part by a small fee on city water bills and supplemented by grants for some projects. She also says Tucson Water offers residential rainwater‑harvesting rebates (up to $2,000) to encourage private‑property installations that capture rooftop or hardscape runoff: “If people are able to and want to have interest in doing it on their private property, Tucson Water does have rebates for that.”
Recommendations and next steps
Zuniga‑Teran’s paper recommends tailoring outreach to the realities of low‑income residents — scheduling events outside standard work hours, addressing transportation and childcare barriers, and designing engagement that does not risk participants’ income — and partnering with trusted local organizations such as faith groups, schools and neighborhood nonprofits. Local practitioners echoed those recommendations, arguing that workforce training, paid internships, and long‑term maintenance commitments are essential to ensure greening investments persist and produce equitable benefits.
“As Tucson and Pima County confront escalating climate and economic challenges, the path forward lies not in resource‑intensive industries, but rather investing in a local nature‑based solutions economy that creates good jobs, safeguards our water and air, and builds resilience in people's own backyards,” said Breault.
