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In this WRRC seminar, Adriana Zuniga will describe a brief history of water management in Tucson and how this desert city became a leader in green infrastructure in the country. Blue Baldwin will then present an overview of the modern evolution of green stormwater infrastructure in Tucson over the past decades, from grassroots, "pre-legal" actions to current policy and ultimate institutionalization with the advent of the Storm to Shade Program at Tucson Water. The Storm to Shade program's goals, project prioritization framework, maintenance program, key partnerships, challenges, and long-term vision for the S2S will be covered.
Blue Baldwin manages the Storm to Shade Program at the City of Tucson, which builds and maintains green stormwater infrastructure on public property throughout the city with a focus on equity and investment in historically underserved areas. Prior to that, she coordinated an academically integrated garden and ecology program in Arizona's second largest school district, which serves as a model nationally and internationally. Baldwin holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of Arizona and is a second-generation Tucsonan.
Adriana Zuniga works as an assistant professor at the School of Geography, Development & Environment and the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona. Zuniga works with stakeholders and community partners to answer questions related to water security, urban resilience, public health, and environmental justice by focusing on greenspace/green infrastructure (or nature-based solutions) across the urban-rural continuum.