![]() The planning process became known as the Houghton Area Master Plan, named after a major road that runs through the area. In the growth areas of southeast Tucson, the City of Tucson and the Arizona State Land Department began a large-scale planning process that emphasized progressive tools to reduce impact on natural areas and promote livability within neighborhoods. In the late 1990s, Pima County began a comprehensive planning process that integrated designation of urban growth areas with protection of surrounding unbroken landscapes, resulting in the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. In a broader context, the region surrounding Tucson provides strong examples of how communities can influence and encourage development that is compatible with protection of natural open space. The new community of Civano, in southeast Tucson, was a model for the Houghton Area Master Plan's 'desert village' concept. A Tucson Community Design Academy also trains residents as design ambassadors within their neighborhoods and across the city. The goal of the Building from the Best of Tucson program is to “create a vibrant, livable Tucson community surrounded by healthy, connected landscapes.” Awards were created to encourage best practices by local builders and developers, and the City of Tucson adopted a vision statement to guide appropriate development. The City of Tucson, Arizona, is taking steps in this direction with Building from the Best of Tucson. conservation to creating a demand for development that fosters conservation values. In fact, savvy Westerners are changing the debate from development vs. Will the same fate be true of desert residents today?Īs the West continues to grow, there must be ways to effectively plan for the expansion without compromising our resources yet still provide for new homes, businesses, and natural areas. But as those resources changed, the Hohokam disappeared. What brings these people to the desert? It may be what the ancient Hohokam Indians knew long ago: the desert is a place of warm climate, natural beauty, and abundant resources. By all accounts, the West can expect to continue to see much of the explosive growth that has characterized the last 20 years. Arizona is the second fastest growing state in the country, based on the last census. Today, it is estimated that over the next 25 years an additional 25 million people will move to the Western United States. The Sonoran Desert is known for its harsh environment, and yet it is suggested that the earliest known Native American people, the Hohokam, chose to call this desert their home. Photo by Gene Wendt, courtesy Sonoran Institute. It’s the one national park unit you can’t technically visit.Rincon Creek, southeast of Tucson, Arizona. The National Park Service includes Hohokam Pima on the official list of park units, but does not include any travel information or location listings elsewhere online. The land is under tribal ownership, and the Gila River Indian Community has decided not to open the area to the public. Today, the Monument rests on the Gila River Indian Reservation. After the excavations, Snaketown was covered entirely, leaving nothing of the ruins or city visible above ground. Some of these are on display at nearby Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Īt the time of the digs, artifacts and essential history of the Hohokam people were removed and taken for museums and private collections. ![]() It’s also believed that up to eight areas at the site were used as crematoria, a practice among the Hohokam people. The excavations revealed pit houses, and a complex system of irrigation for crops like beans, maize and squash. Based on the excavations, it’s believed the Hohokam people inhabited Snaketown during the Pioneer and Early Sedentary stages (approximately 300 BCE to 1100 CE). Like many of Arizona’s archaeological sites, excavations began in the 1930s and again in the 1960s by Euro-American settlers and researchers. Hohokam Pima National Monument was established by Congress on October 21, 1972, to protect an ancient Hohokam village known today as “Snaketown.”
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