The integration of Urban Ecological Infrastructure (UEI) has gained attention as cities seek to address challenges posed by urbanization. Constructed treatment wetlands (CTWs), commonly used for removing pollutants from wastewater effluent and storm water runoff, have been proposed as a solution to address challenges posed by rising water challenges. CTWs serve as a unique type of UEI and provide a range of ecosystem services in urban landscapes. With current global concerns over water scarcity and sustainable resource management, wetlands emerge as key components, providing vital ecosystem services, one of which is nutrient filtration. Nitrogen pollution in water bodies poses significant environmental and public health concerns, emphasizing the need for effective mitigation strategies. CTWs present a promising solution for addressing nitrogen pollution in urban settings. However, there are gaps in understanding wetland functioning within arid environments, necessitating arid climate studies to explain nitrogen dynamics. This study, conducted in the Tres Rios Wetland in Phoenix, Arizona, aims to examine nitrogen content in soils. Soil nitrogen content trends from 2019 to 2023 were investigated, with a focus on understanding nitrogen dynamics from inflow to outflow points and comparison from water to shore. There were no trends seen in nitrogen content over time from 2019 to 2023. Additionally, nitrogen levels tended to be higher at the shorelines compared to the open water, likely due to the accumulation of organic matter and soil nitrogen absorption. However, there were no trends observed in nitrogen content from the inflow to outflow points.

There are unfortunately very few curricular guides that focus on community engagement within the higher education of landscape architecture. A Beginner’s Guide to Community Engagement in the Curriculum of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning to Improve Social Justice and Sustainability helps resolve this issue and serves as a resource to students, educators, designers, and more. The guide centralizes a diverse collection of resources, guides students through learning materials, shares insight, and proposes potential community engagement methods. The booklet aims to help readers understand the importance of community engagement in design and shares different curricular approaches to introduce the work to students.

In 1974, with a relatively young and fast-growing city in front of them, the City Council of Phoenix, Arizona charged the Phoenix Planning Commission with studying potential plans for urban form. Through the help of over 200 citizens over the next eight months, the village concept was born. Characterized by an emphasis on community-level planning, unique neighborhood character, and citizen input, the village concept plan provides an compelling lens into decentralized planning. In 1979, the Village Concept, as part of the “Phoenix Concept Plan 2000,” was officially adopted by the Phoenix City Council and has remained a component of the city’s long-range planning ever since. Each village features a core of dense commercial and residential activity, with a surrounding periphery featuring varied densities and land usage. There were nine original villages outlined in 1979. As of today, there are 15 villages. Each village has a Village Planning Committee (VPC) made up of 15 to 21 citizens, each being appointed to the committee by the Phoenix Mayor and City Council. This exploratory study was born out of an interest in the Village Planning Committees and a desire to understand their function as a mechanism for citizen participation in urban planning and urban governance. Similarly, with the rapid onset of the automobile and freeway expansion in the decades after WWII, once-insolated communities in the Valley have become connected to each other in a way that raises questions about how to maintain neighborhood’s unique character while promoting sustainable growth and expansion of the city. Phoenix’s Urban Village Model attempts to answer those questions. The efficacy of the model can be considered from two perspectives––how does it aid in making land use decisions, and how does it promote citizen participation? While there is an extensive body of literature on neighborhood councils in the United States and plentiful analysis of the merits of such models as participatory mechanisms and devices of urban planning, there is a lack of discussion of Phoenix’s Urban Village Model. This thesis aims to include Phoenix in this growing body of work.

 This paper identified issues related to the production and use of knowledge in the conservation management of the Galapagos and provided frameworks for facilitating efficient engagement and actionable science to overcome knowledge gaps. The literature emphasizes the need for usable knowledge and knowledge exchange mechanisms to ensure that research findings are translated into practical solutions. The partnership between the Galapagos National Park and the Darwin Research Station has the potential to facilitate knowledge exchange through practices such as co production of knowledge, embedded researchers, or actionable science.