Rio Nuevo Begins
In November of 1999 the people of Tucson approved Proposition 400 which instructed the city to create the Rio Nuevo District. The project calls for the creation of a new cultural district in downtown Tucson. One of the themes of this project is “recapturing and celebrating Tucson's history.” To learn more about the Rio Nuevo District, visit the City of Tucson's Rio Nuevo Master Plan Web Site.

Rediscovering Tucson's Origins
Before we can recapture and celebrate our city's cultural heritage we need to know more about Tucson's past. Previous Archaeological research suggested that people have been living in the area we now call Tucson for at least 3,000 years. As part of the Rio Nuevo project, the City of Tucson is sponsoring further research that will be incorporated in the future of our community.

Plan of Research
The studies conducted for the Rio Nuevo Project are proceeding according to the highest standards of archaeologcial and historical research. Scientific studies such as the Rio Nuevo project are guided by a type of formal plan called a research design. You can read the entire Rio Nuevo research design by clicking on the link to the left.  The Rio Nuevo research design explains how archaeological and historical investigations will illuminate and expand our knowlege of Tucson's past.

Research Results
Research results generated by the Rio Nuevo Studies serve two purposes. The research findings are turned over to the city of Tucson to help plan for the Rio Nuevo district, and the research is being presented in the popular press, scientific journals, and scientific conferences. You can read some of these publications by clicking on the link to the left. You can also explore the reserach results by clicking on the Places, History, and People links above.