Press

Our Op-Ed, Press Releases & White Paper

SHRP Email to Mayor and Council, May 13, 2021. SHRP thanks the Mayor and City Council for approving G-Minor and expresses desire to participate actively in the planning process for its implementation.

SHRP Email to Mayor and Council, May 4, 2021. SHRP argues that “Option G Minor is the result of the community process far more than Option D” and contents that “G Minor meets all of the criteria that emerged from the Community Dialogue process” established by the mayor and city council. Moreover, SHRP maintains “Option G Minor raises the bar on intentional planning in Reid Park, which is sorely needed as Reid Park has gone without the consideration of a Master Plan for nearly two decades.”

Press Release: New Zoo Expansion Plan “G- Minor” Emerges As Favorite for Tucson Residents. Save the Heart Of Reid Park announces Press Conference at which Bob Vint, Tucson Architect, and Mark Mayer, JKNA, present the new Concept “G-minor” and conduct tour of proposed area. For full details on “G-minor,” see Bob Vint’s A Path Forward on this website or his Building a bridge, literally, between park and zoo in the Arizona Daily Star.

Press Release: Save the Heart Of Reid Park and Neighborhood Leaders Hold April 27 Press Conference Urging Mayor And City Council To Pick Revised, Much-Lower-Cost Option G, April 26, 2021. Press Conference on 4/27/21, noon to 12:30 p.m., followed by short tour In Reid Park - Northeast side of large north pond.

Press Release: Save the Heart of Reid Park Releases White Paper with Clear Evidence that Reid Park Zoo Process was Deeply Flawed. Heartfelt Thanks to Mayor Regina Romero for Seeing This and Calling for a Pause to the Destruction of Barnum Hill and the South Duck Pond in Reid Park, March 4, 2021

Executive Summary, White Paper in Support of Halting Expansion of Reid Park Zoo onto Barnum Hill and the South Duck Pond. Save the Heart of Reid Park, March 2, 2021.

White Paper in Support of Halting Expansion of Reid Park Zoo onto Barnum Hill and the South Duck Pond: Review of Matters Related to the Proposed Destruction of 3.5 Acres of Reid Park Landscape including Barnum Hill & the South Duck Pond and Change in Land Use of This Acreage to Zoo. Save the Heart of Reid Park, March 2, 2021 (3.72-MB PDF)

Reid Park Supporters: Zoo expansion should halt for now. Molly McKasson, Lauren McElroy Herrera and José Muñoz, Special Editorial, Arizona Daily Star, January 31, 2021.

Articles, Editorials & Special Features

Tim Steller's column: Randolph golfers should compromise on paths for walkers, runners, Arizona Daily Star, Dec. 4, 2023.

Photos: Trees at Reid Park get makeover, by Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star, April 5, 2022.

City of Tucson bulletin: Gene C. Reid Park Tree Trimming April 4 and 5. March 30, 2022.

New plan in works for Reid Park Zoo expansion. Special, by Noah Cullen, Arizona Daily Star, Nov. 13, 2021; updated Dec. 1, 2021.

City of Tucson bulletin: Community input invited following Oct. 1, 2021 update on the Gene C. Reid Park and Reid Park Zoo Expansion. Oct. 6, 2021.

Tucson City Council votes to expand Reid Park Zoo to the northwest. Nicole Ludden, Arizona Daily Star, May 4, 2021.

Tucson Opinion: Building a bridge, literally, between park and zoo. Special, by Bob Vint, Arizona Daily Star, May, 3, 2021.

Tucson city manager makes recommendation on Reid Park Zoo expansion. Nicole Ludden, Arizona Daily Star, Apr. 28, 2021.

Tim Steller's opinion: Tucson must value open space above $0.00 in zoo expansion. Arizona Daily Star, Apr. 27, 2021.

City of Tucson News Release — Manager's Recommendation on Reid Park Zoo Expansion Forwarded to Mayor and Council, Apr. 27, 2021.

Reid Park advocates push pricey zoo expansion option that spares green space. Nicole Ludden, Arizona Daily Star, Apr. 27, 2021; updated Jun. 1, 2022.

Tucson City Council to decide fate of Reid Park Zoo expansion. Nicole Ludden, Arizona Daily Star, Apr. 24, 2021; updated Apr. 25, 2021.

Survey Open: Gene C. Reid Park and Reid Park Zoo Expansion Community Conversation. City of Tucson News Release, April 1, 2021.

Tim Steller’s opinion: City Council saves Tucson’s Zoo from public resentment. Arizona Daily Star, Mar. 10, 2021.

Agenda Item 6: Review of Zoo Expansion Plans, Minutes of the Mayor and Council Study Session, March 9, 2021. Or view meeting minutes on the City of Tucson website.

Tucson City Council votes to pause Reid Park Zoo expansion project. Nicole Ludden, Arizona Daily Star, Mar. 9, 2021.

Mayor: Reid Park Zoo expansion should be paused pending further community engagement. Jasmine Demers, Arizona Daily Star, Mar. 4, 2021.

Call for pause on Zoo expansion: A Message from Mayor Regina Romero. March 3, 2021.

Tim Steller's opinion: City of Tucson must stop takeover of Reid Park pond, hill. Arizona Daily Star, Feb. 2, 2021.

Reid Park Supporters: Zoo expansion should halt for now. Molly McKasson, Lauren McElroy Herrera and José Muñoz, Special to Arizona Daily Star, Jan. 31, 2021.

Tucson Audubon Statement to the City of Tucson Regarding Loss of Public Space at Reid Park. Jonathan E.Lutz, Tucson Audubon, Jan. 26, 2021.

Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association Letter to Tucson Mayor and City Council requesting pause on Zoo expansion based on 636 responses to its Jan. 21, 2021 Survey.

Tim Steller's opinion: Zoo expansion at Reid Park colonizes irreplaceable hill, pond. Tucson.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Updated Dec. 19, 2020.

Save the Heart of Reid Park. Carolyn Classen, Democrats of Greater Tucson, Dec. 13, 2020.

Study tallies value of Tucson's trees. Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star, May 21, 2011.

Resources Relevant to Urban Parks

2017 City Park Facts. The Trust for Public Land, April 2017 (PDF, 3.2 MB). More recent annual updates are downloadable as sets of data tables (e.g., 2020 City Park Facts).

Cities Across Europe Are Making Space for Nature. Tom Lawson, YES! Solutions Journalism, Feb. 24, 2021.

Don”t mock “tree equity.” It has health benefits. Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako and Eugenia C. South, The Washington Post, Dec. 9, 2021.

Elephants to be moved from UK zoo to Kenyan wild in 'world first.' Jack Guy, CNN Travel, Updated 6th July 2021.

Estimating Economic and Environmental Benefits of Urban Trees in Desert Regions. Rima J. Isaifan and Richard W. Baldauf, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Feb. 13, 2020.

Great parks don’t just have rec space. They create jobs. A new study by the Knight Foundation shows what makes a good park great—an important insight as cities consider how to spend federal relief money. Nate Berg, Fast Company, Apr. 13, 2021.

Keeping Trees in the Ground: An Effective Low-Tech Way to Slow Climate Change. Beverly Law and William Moomaw, The Conversation, EcoWatch: Environmental News for a Healthier Planet and Life, Feb. 24, 2021.

Management of Parks and Recreation Agencies: Compendium. Source: Management of Park and Recreation Agencies, sponsored by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA), provides park and recreation professionals with best practices for the profession based on National Accreditation Standards.

National Recreation and Park Association: Improving the health of communities for all people through parks, recreation and conservation.

Noise Level From Natural Sources in the United States. Source: Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division of the U.S. National Park Service, May 15, 2016.

Parks and Improved Mental Health and Quality of Life. National Recreation and Parks Association, Fact Sheet.

Parks and the Pandemic - As officials reimagine park policy in real time, equitable access is becoming a driving factor in decision-making. The Trust for Public Land at www.tpl.org.

Pivoting parks: Miami’s 2020 in pictures - Public spaces became increasingly important during an unprecedented year, medium.com, Dec. 30, 2020.

Study: Birds Are Linked to Happiness Levels. Carly Nairn, EcoWatch, Dec. 8, 2020.

That Splash Pad Your Kid Loves Could be a Germ Factory—Six Tips to Avoid a Waterbourne Illness. A CDC report about a bacteria outbreak is raising concerns about cleanliness. Sabienna Bowman, Aug. 10, 2022: Updated Sept 8, 2022.

The Case Against Zoos. Emma Marris, The New York Times, Jul. 11, 2021.

The Fight to Preserve Urban Parks for People. City Parks Alliance, Dec. 5, 2016.

The Outdoors Are Great, But Not For All. Jackie Ostfeld, Opinion Contributor,The Hill, Energy and the Environment, Mar. 26, 2021.

The Rights of Nature: We Need Nature More Than It Needs Us. Jim Hightower, Common Dreams, Mar. 10, 2021.

The Trust for Public Land ParkScore® index. 2020 rankings.

Tree Equity Score - Ensuring tree cover in cities is equitable. American Forest, website.

Tucson Parks and Recreation Earns National Accreditation. News Releases and Newsletters, TDD: 791-2639, City of Tucson, Nov. 14, 2020.

Tucson's south side gets hotter than other parts of the city, and not just because of elevation. Tony Davis, Arizona Daily Star, April 3, 2021, Updated Apr. 6, 2021.

UK woodlands could store almost twice as much carbon as previously estimated. University College London, Phys.Org website, Dec. 20, 2022.

Why keeping one mature street tree is far better for humans and nature than planting lots of new ones. Mary Gagen, The Conversation, Phys.Org website, Feb. 2, 2021.