Pathways to Greening Border Cities: A Policy Analysis for Green Infrastructure in Ambos Nogales
Patricia Schwartz,
Adriana A. Zuniga-Teran,
Francisco Lara-Valencia,
Hilda García-Pérez,
Gabriel Díaz Montemayor,
Claudia Gil Anaya,
Joaquin Marruffo,
Oscar A. Rodriguez Ponce,
Zoe Holtzman
Affiliations
Patricia Schwartz
School of Geography, Development & Environment, University of Arizona, 1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Adriana A. Zuniga-Teran
School of Geography, Development & Environment, University of Arizona, 1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Francisco Lara-Valencia
School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University, 1120 Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
Hilda García-Pérez
Department of Population Studies, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Sede Nogales, Reforma esq. con Blvd. Luis Donaldo Colosio Del Rosario, Nogales 84020, Sonora, Mexico
Gabriel Díaz Montemayor
Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, University of Arkansas, 120 Vol Walker Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
Claudia Gil Anaya
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007, USA
Joaquin Marruffo
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007, USA
Oscar A. Rodriguez Ponce
School of Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona, 1040 N. Olive Rd., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
Zoe Holtzman
Department of Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Dr, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
Green infrastructure (GI) has been proposed as a decentralized solution to complex urban water management issues. However, public policy remains a critical challenge for the wide adoption of GI, which is exacerbated in transboundary settings. We draw from public policy theory to analyze GI policies at the US–Mexico border. We examine the case of Ambos Nogales—two sister cities grappling with complex water management challenges. We examined existing policies and evaluated their impact on the implementation of GI at multiple levels (local, state, national, and binational). We also conducted interviews and a focus group with stakeholders. Our analysis unveils a set of barriers to the adoption of GI and a suite of opportunities for the enactment of GI policies. We outline five pathways for greening border cities, including (i) creating market-based GI incentives, (ii) adopting the net-zero urban water approach, (iii) engaging with existing institutions for greening efforts, (iv) planning for a GI network at the watershed scale, and (v) supporting local champions. By addressing shortcomings of policy and regulatory frameworks hindering local capacity, border cities will be more likely to adopt and widely implement GI solutions for more sustainable urban water management.
