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Urban Ecology
From CopperWiki
Urban ecology is a new branch of ecological study on the relationships between living creatures, the communities they live in as well as environment. It was founded in 1975 by visionary architects and activists who believed that cities should serve both people and nature.
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[edit] Why should I be aware of this?
- Cities are microcosms for the kinds of changes that are happening globally Studies by urban ecologists reveal that city centers are physically hotter, with 2-10 degrees Centigrade higher temperature than rural areas. Urban ecological studies can throw up significant insight into how to bring about a sustainable urban future
- With the help of research on urban ecology, people see their city as part of a living ecosystem with valuable resources that promote better health and quality of life. With the new information that is available urban residents and policymakers are able to make informed decisions and take action to restore these resources before they are lost.
- Recent studies show that urban communities increase social connections among residents as their interests are intricately linked to their environments. Residents know and value one another, are concerned for the well-being of their community, and work together to achieve their goals.
[edit] All about urban ecology
Urban ecology is the subfield of ecology which deals with the interaction of plants, animals and humans with each other and with their environment in urban or urbanizing settings. The future of Earth’s ecosystems is increasingly influenced by the pace and patterns of urbanization. Urban ecology is the study of the co-evolution of human-ecological systems.
In urban communities residents know and value one another, are concerned for the well-being of their community, and work together to achieve their goals. Studies all over the world have shown that people with strong social ties have a reduced risk for all causes of mortality. Collective community projects to transform urban ecology and the environment are the most powerful ways of bringing neighbors together.
[edit] Temperature rise
Urban ecologists reveal that urban and suburban temperatures are "2 to 10 degree F (1 to 6 degree C) higher than nearby rural areas. This rise in temperatures translates into increases in peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution levels and heat-related illness and mortality.
Even a one degree rise in temperature will shoot up household water consumption by 290 gallons per month on average for a single-family unit. However, knowledge about heat island effects also has meant innovation and the rise of new and greener technologies, such as roofing materials with a high solar reflectance and recycled rubber/asphalt composites to pave roadways.
[edit] Effects extend to rural landscapes
The challenges don’t remain restricted to the city but the rural landscapes at a city’s edge show changes in soils, built structures, human settlements, the diversity of plant and animal species and further impacts on fringe ecosystems. Experts believe that a city’s “footprint” has ballooned so that “cities are no longer independent, but represent a limited number of dominant megapolitan regions across the globe, with coalitions of urban centers built up in the intervening areas.
[edit] 90 degrees
Urban Ecology’s mission is serious, but its roots are lighthearted and creative. In the mid 1970s, one of Urban Ecology’s founders, Richard Register, grew a vegetable patch in his 1968 Pontiac GTO to lampoon America’s love of cars. Dubbed the “Veggie Car,” it traveled to energy fairs, street festivals, and community gardens before it was finally retired to a playground. Around the same time, urban ecologists strapped on roller skates to distribute “Gasaholics Anonymous” parking tickets in Berkeley, inviting vehicle owners to question their dependence on automobiles and join in the fight to create cities built for people, not cars. [1]
[edit] CopperBytes
- Freeing neighborhoods of excessive auto traffic has long been important to urban ecology.
- Urban ecology’s mission has always involved local change within a global perspective. Emphasis is also placed on planning communities with environmentally sustainable methods via design and building materials in order to promote a healthy and bio-diverse urban ecosystem.
