Business Tools: Nature and Food
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The built environment can replace nature, or it can be integrated into and include nature. Choosing to integrate and include nature into new developments is important for our community for a number of reasons. Development that includes and respects nature protects the natural environment and maintains our quality of life. Incorporating green space into your development provides a place for people to connect with nature, recreational opportunities, and it helps mitigate the urban heat island effect. |
A Native Plant Preservation Plan is required in order to develop most property in Tucson. The NPPO plan shows how the native plants on a project site will be preserved, relocated or replaced. Specific trees, shrubs, succulents and cacti are protected by law. These protected species are listed in the City of Tucson Land Use Code. Information regarding the NPPO submittal requirements and review process can be found in section 3.8 of the Land Use Code and section 2-15 of the Development Standards. As part of the RTA funding measure adopted by Pima County voters in 2006, $45 million was allocated to fund activities and projects to improve wildlife connectivity associated with transportation projects. These funds may be applied to projects that are specified by the RTA plan or to any other transportation related project, e.g., existing road retrofits. The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, mindful of the factual correlation between growth and the consumption of natural resources, gives high priority to preserving and protecting our most important natural resources. Growth should be directed to areas with the least natural, historic, and cultural resource values. The Arizona Wildlife Linkages Workgroup is a collaborative effort between nine public agencies and nonprofit organizations. Recognizing that habitat connectivity is a landscape issue involving multiple land jurisdictions, this workgroup has engaged in unprecedented cooperation and facilitated discussions and partnerships to help ensure a unified approach to wildlife linkage conservation and management. Arizona's wildlife action plan provides a strategic framework and an information resource to help conserve Arizona's terrestrial and aquatic wildlife and the lands and waters on which they depend for survival. Remove buffelgrass before a site is developed. In the past two years, the invasion of buffelgrass has reached a critical stage. Extensive outreach has resulted in media coverage and nearly unanimous consensus that the time for action is now. Even with this heightened awareness, control activities have yet to keep pace with buffelgrass spread. Because this spread is exponential—populations of this grass and the costs of controlling it may be doubling every year—time is of the essence. Collaborative and decisive action is needed now. | |
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Buildings should be designed with nature in mind. Integrating the built environment with our beautiful desert landscape creates a greater sense of place and respects the integrity of the landscape. Choose designs and colors that complement the desert landscape. Use native vegetation that attracts desert wildlife, such as lizards and birds. Instead of contributing to the urban heat island effect, buildings can be designed to help mitigate this effect with strategic use of vegetation. |
A healthy urban landscape is vital to our quality of life. Our stewardship to both the built urban landscape environment and the natural desert ecosystem is even more important now as population continues to increase in the Tucson area. To increase awareness and understanding about urban ecology, the City of Tucson developed an Urban Landscape Framework (ULF). It’s an important step to integrate social-cultural elements into decision-making processes that foster a healthier urban landscape. The Arizona Department of Transportation allows placement of landscaping in the right of way provided the landscaping does not include anything that would be a hazard to the motorist. The City of Tucson Land Use Code addresses water harvesting requirements in sections 3.7.1.1.A, 3.7.4.3.B, and 3.7.4.5.B. The focus of these ordinance sections is on harvesting rainwater to supplement on-site irrigation of vegetation. Specific code provisions are described in Appendix A of the Manual. The Xeriscape Landscaping Ordinance became effective in February 1991. This comprehensive landscape code applies to new multifamily, commercial, and industrial development. One of the goals of this ordinance is to conserve water by using established xeriscape principals in landscape design. The regulations require the use of drought-tolerant plants from a published list and limits non-drought tolerant vegetation to small "oasis" areas. • Arizona Department of Water Resources plant list • References for Identifying and Selecting Landscape Plants for the Low Desert (UofA) • City of Mesa Resources for Arizona Low Desert Gardening and Landscaping • SmartScape Workshops. SmartScape is a series of nine two-hour workshops designed to encourage consistent horticultural practices compatible with the Sonoran Desert. The classes are designed for Green Industry personnel including property managers, landscape maintenance and installation personnel, nursery personnel, landscape architects and designers, and other allied professionals who are responsible for urban landscapes.
The Arizona Department of Transportation allows placement of landscaping in the right of way provided the landscaping does not include anything that would be a hazard to the motorist. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) GreenScapes program provides cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping. Designed to help preserve natural resources and prevent waste and pollution, GreenScapes encourages companies, government agencies, other entities, and homeowners to make more holistic decisions regarding waste generation and disposal and the associated impacts on land, water, air, and energy use. For millions of Americans living in and around cities, heat islands are of growing concern. This phenomenon describes urban and suburban temperatures that are 2 to 10°F (1 to 6°C) hotter than nearby rural areas. Fortunately, there are common-sense measures that communities can take to reduce the negative effects of heat islands. In 1999, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, a small network consisting of public and private organizations, was founded as a direct result of a research project on the benefits of green roofs and barriers to industry development. | |
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If your business is in the restaurant or other food related industry, consider purchasing locally grown food. In Tucson, a wide variety of produce is available within a 250-mile radius. Purchasing locally grown food is healthier, reduces transportation costs (and greenhouse gas emissions), and supports the local economy. Below are resources for purchasing locally grown food. |
Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture, (BASA), is a 501c3 non-profit organization working to increase local sustainable food production and marketing in southern Arizona. Sustainable agriculture is good for the earth, good for people and good for communities. AZ Dept. of Agriculture’s mission is to regulate and support Arizona agriculture in a manner that encourages farming, ranching, and agribusiness while protecting consumers and natural resources. | |
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Encouraging a sense of stewardship and actively educating your workforce about the importance of intact natural landscapes and systems will help your business establish common goals and develop community leaders. Use your business site as an educational tool by incorporating green space into the workplace. If employees are able to enjoy a natural setting while they eat lunch, they may develop a connection to that natural space. Here are a couple more reasons to incorporate green space into the workplace: |
Views of plants increase job satisfaction. Employees with an outside view of plants experience less job pressure and greater job satisfaction than workers viewing man-made objects or having no outside view. They also report fewer headaches and other ailments than workers without the view. | |
