The Trust’s groundbreaking Civano project stands as one of North America’s most ambitious and successful sustainable community developments. This 850-acre traditional neighborhood development on State Trust land in Tucson, Arizona, transformed desert landscape into a thriving community that has redefined what sustainable development can achieve at scale.
Through an innovative public-private partnership with the City of Tucson that began in 1995, the Trust created a complete new town that now houses over 5,000 residents across 2,800 homes. The development spans multiple neighborhoods anchored by vibrant commercial centers, with the first neighborhood alone containing 400 homes clustered around retail, office, and community spaces. This remarkable achievement was made possible through equity funding from Fannie Mae Corporation, demonstrating unprecedented support from major financial institutions for sustainable development.
Civano’s revolutionary design prioritizes both environmental sustainability and economic vitality. The community generates one job for every two households, with businesses engaged in solar power and renewable resource fields choosing Civano as their home. Light industry, offices, retail businesses, and civic facilities are strategically clustered in village centers, reducing automobile dependency by allowing residents to live, work, and play within a five-minute walk of their homes.
The development employs cutting-edge sustainable technologies that have set new standards for resource conservation. Through passive solar design, photovoltaic electric generation, and advanced energy systems, Civano reduces energy consumption by unprecedented margins. The community’s innovative water management system uses harvested and reclaimed water for irrigating xeriscape vegetation, dramatically reducing potable water usage. These achievements have positioned Civano as a national leader in providing alternative power and sustainable infrastructure to an entire community.
Civano’s pedestrian-friendly streets, extensive walking and biking paths, and carefully planned internal circulation systems have created a community where cars are optional rather than obligatory. This design has measurably reduced automobile usage and pollution while fostering the kind of authentic neighborhood connections that have been lost in conventional suburban development.
The Trust for Sustainable Development successfully completed the Master Plan and sold its interest to its operating partner, leaving behind a fully realized vision that continues to thrive and grow. Today, Civano stands as living proof that sustainable development at massive scale is not only possible but economically viable, socially enriching, and environmentally transformative. It remains one of the three most sustainable developments in North America, as recognized by The New York Times, and continues to attract businesses, residents, and international attention as a model for 21st-century community development.