Chapter 10
The Urban
World
The City as an Ecosystem
Urbanization: urban areas vary by # of people.
US Bureau of Census defines an urban area
as “a location with 2500 or more people.
 75% of US Population lives in an urban
environment.
http://www.census.gov/
http://www.pe.net/~rksnow/nycountymahopac.htm#statistics
Population and Urbanization
Urban migration
Population and Urbanization
Characteristics of the Urban Population
• Increased heterogeneity
• Young age structure
• Different proportions of males / females
Population and Urbanization
Urbanization Trends in US
• Urban Agglomerations: urban core region
that consists of several adjacent cirties
Ex: tokyo-Yokohoma-Osaka-Kobe
agglomeration in Japan (50 million people)
QUESTION:
Population and Urbanization
What has a rush to urbanization in
developing countries led to?
ANSWER:
Population and Urbanization
Rush to urbanization in developing countries has
led to:
• exceptionally high unemployment
• Over whelmed economic growth, poverty
• Homelessness, Slums and squatter settlements
• Heavy pollution
• Inadequate•on nonexistent water
• Inadequate water, sewage and waste disposal
Population and Urbanization
Urbanization Trends
Insert Table 10.1
The City as an Ecosystem
Land Use Patterns
Mixed use
Residential
Park City, UT
The City as an Ecosystem
Land Use Patterns
Park City, UT
Undeveloped
The City as an Ecosystem
Long Term Ecological Research (LERT)
sponsored by The National Science
Foundation looks into urban ecology trends
and patterns in the context of four variable.
What are they?
The City as an Ecosystem
Population  Organization
EnvironmentTechnology
Population:
Organization
Environment
Technology
The City as an Ecosystem
Environmental Problems Associated with
Urban Areas
• Brownfields
• Inadequate sewage / storm water systems
• Long commutes
• Air pollution
• Urban Heat
The City as an Ecosystem
Brownfields
Brownfields: areas of abandoned,
vacant factories, warehouses, &
residential areas that may be
contaminated past uses.
http://www.epa.gov/Region2/cleanup/
sites/nytoc_county.html
Marathon Battery Co.
• What happened?
http://www.epa.gov/region02
• Who cleaned it up?
/superfund/npl/0201491c.pdf
• Did it work?
• How is it being used today?
The City as an Ecosystem
Environmental Problems Associated with
Urban Areas
• Creation of urban heat islands
The City as an Ecosystem
Environmental Problems Associated with
Urban Areas
• Dust domes
The City as an Ecosystem
Urban Heat Island: the heat released by paved streets
& Buildings is slowly released into the atmosphere.
(remember albedo?)
The atmosphere over cities is often cloudier &
produces more precipitation than the surrounding
countryside.
The City as an Ecosystem
Benefits of Urbanization (+)
Compact Development: cities are often
designed to be efficient so that public
transport is utilized.
Ex: Curitiba, Brazil
QUESTION:
Making Cities More Sustainable
What are the design principles of a
sustainable city? That is, what does such a
city have or do that demonstrates
sustainability?
QUESTION: ANSWER
Making Cities More Sustainable
a livable environment
Clean facilities (water, Sanitation, land use)
a strong economy
a social and cultural sense of community
a future generation of urban dwellers (rather
than a declining inner city area and
growing suburbs)
Making Cities More Sustainable
Features of a sustainable city:
1) Clear, cohesive urban policies
2) Utilize energy and other resources
efficiently
Making Cities More Sustainable
Features of a sustainable city:
1) Clear, cohesive urban policies
2) Utilize energy and other resources
efficiently
3) Designed to reduce pollution
4) Large areas of green space
5) People-centered, not car-centered
6) Encourage urban farming
Making Cities More Sustainable
Case-in-Point: Curitiba, Brazil
Do Now:
Making Cities More Sustainable
What has Curitiba, Brazil done to become a
world model for sustainability?
Do Now: ANSWERS
Making Cities More Sustainable
• an efficient, inexpensive mass transit system of
clean, modern buses in high-speed dedicated
lanes
• high density development along the bus lanes
• low-polluting fuel of diesel + alcohol+ soybean
extract
• interconnected parks and bike paths
• the Garbage Purchase Plan: garbage pickup in
exchange for food, bus tokens
Compact Development in
Portland Oregon
The City as an Ecosystem
Environmental Problems Associated with
Urban Areas
• Noise pollution
The City as an Ecosystem
Environmental Benefits of Urbanization
• Preservation of rural areas
(particularly with compact development)
Urban Land Use Planning
Typical urban area
Land intensive
businesses
(lowest taxes)
Central
business district
(highest taxes)
Residential
areas (high to
moderate taxes)
Urban Land Use Planning
Transportation and Urban Development
The end
Urban Land Use Planning
Suburban Sprawl
Problems:
• Increased air
pollution
• Loss / fragmentation
of wildlife habitat
• Loss of wetlands,
forest, & agricultural
lands
• Noise pollution
Model of Environmental Impact
Proposed by Ehrlich & Holdren
I=PxAxT
Environmental Impact = # of people
x affluence per person x
technological effect of using and
obtaining resources.