southern arizona: Southern AZ's First LEED Platinum Building: At Tucson's Reid Park Zoo! - 01/28/09 10:01 AM
Tucson is generally thought of as a pretty evironmentally conscious city in many respects.  Reclaimed water is widely used for landscaping, xeriscaping has been embraced & adopted by most people...without any regulation or mandate forcing people to do so.
Where we are behind the curve (so far) is in our commercial sector - LEED Certified buildings are few and far between, even in the government and public sector.  Private is probably going to take the lead with LEED in Southern AZ.  That being said, Tucson's Reid Park Zoo boasts southern Arizona's first LEED Platinum Certified building - congratulations!
 
 
Reid … (3 comments)

southern arizona: Local Expert: Passages Of Tucson - One Of North America's Largest Regional Shopping Developments - 04/10/08 04:23 PM
For the past few years, local rumors and water-cooler conversations have cropped up concerning a large mixed-use development going in on Tucson's Southeast side:  "There's a Mall of America being built in Tucson!"   some have claimed, while others chime in with comments about developers floating rumors to help sell their homes and a whole host of other thoughts.
The truth is this:  Yes, there is a huge developement going in, and no, it isn't being put together by the homebuilders who have been instrumental in the growth of the region.  Passages of Tucson is a 400-acre mixed use development to include … (0 comments)

southern arizona: Patagonia, Patagonia---What Might Paradise Be? - 03/17/08 04:17 PM
Hidden away, tucked in between mountains and rolling grassland hills is the Mountain Empire of Arizona.  Patagonia, Sonoita and Elgin are a paradise unto themselves.
I spent the past weekend in Patagonia (again)...some might say the "crown jewel" of the area.  A scant 20 minutes from Nogales and the border, only 80 minutes from Tucson, yet a world away from the standard expectations of most visitors to our state.
 
Patagonia attracts people from all walks of life, affording them the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.  A chance to relax, relieve stress and remember what is … (3 comments)