Ecologist joins Tucson Planning Commission

TUCSON -- Thanks to Vice Mayor and City Councilman Steve Leal, I've been selected to help the Mayor and Council plan future development in the city. It is an important position and I look forward to serving the public-interest.

Read the news release. My first meeting is Wednesday evening.

The city of Tucson is the second largest in Arizona, and 32nd largest in the U.S. - bigger than Atlanta, Oakland, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Sacramento, Miami, and others - with an estimated 512,000 residents in 2004. Tucson is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation; it is the regional hub of Pima County and Southern Arizona.

I plan to focus on promoting quality of life, boosting infill development, conserving water and wildlife habitat, increasing clean renewable energy use, improving air quality, expanding clean transit, and reducing the "urban heat island" effect. I am particularly interested in a move by the city to join the county's Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

What are your thoughts for improving sustainable development and quality of life in Tucson?