By providing an in-depth analysis of contemporary urbanization, an understanding of the dimension of the phenomena and its cause-effect mechanism, this book maps how ecologically-compatible planning in the contemporary city may successfully design a healthier environment.

Urban Ecology is a rapidly growing field of academic and practical significance. Urban ecologists have published several conference proceedings and regularly contribute to the ecological, architectural, planning, and geography literature. However, important papers in the field that set the foundation for the discipline and illustrate modern approaches from a variety of perspectives and regions of the world have not been collected in a single, accessible book. Foundations of Urban Ecology does this by reprinting important European and American publications, filling gaps in the published literature with a few, targeted original works, and translating key works originally published in German. This edited volume will provide students and professionals with a rich background in all facets of urban ecology. The editors emphasize the drivers, patterns, processes and effects of human settlement. The papers they synthesize provide readers with a broad understanding of the local and global aspects of settlement through traditional natural and social science lenses. This interdisciplinary vision gives the reader a comprehensive view of the urban ecosystem by introducing drivers, patterns, processes and effects of human settlements and the relationships between humans and other animals, plants, ecosystem processes, and abiotic conditions. The reader learns how human institutions, health, and preferences influence, and are influenced by, the others members of their shared urban ecosystem.

In Indian context; with Delhi case study.

Provides an overview of international developments in urban ecology, with many examples from cities worldwide. In addition, this book presents a unique exchange of experiences and ideas, with a focus on cooperation between researchers and those involved in putting ideas into practice. Topics include: aims and standards for ecological cities; the integration of ecologial, economic, social and cultural aspects; land use as a controlling factor; ecologically responsible mobility; and the integration of nature and landscape into urban development.

Since the start of the twenty-first century, urban communities have faced increasing challenges in housing affordability, with environmental issues causing additional concern. It is clear that changes to urban housing are needed to enhance the resilience of cities and improve the economic, social and physical well-being of residents. This book provides a comparative cross-national perspective on urban housing and sustainability in Europe, exploring the key barriers and drivers associated with sustainable urban development and community regeneration. Country-specific chapters allow for easy comparison, with each summarizing how sustainable housing operates in the country in question, before going on to discuss the key barriers and drivers at play. This book brings a sustainability perspective to the comparative housing literature which frequently fails to integrate the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainability. The book outlines many of the changes that professionals and residents will need to make to their practices and cultures in order to enhance housing resilience. Students, researchers and professionals with an interest in sustainable housing creation and regeneration will find this book an invaluable reference.

The contributors to this volume propose strategies of urgent and vital importance that aim to make today’s urban environments more resilient. Resilience, the ability of complex systems to adapt to changing conditions, is a key frontier in ecological research and is especially relevant in creative urban design, as urban areas exemplify complex systems. With something approaching half of the world’s population now residing in coastal urban zones, many of which are vulnerable both to floods originating inland and rising sea levels, making urban areas more robust in the face of environmental threats must be a policy ambition of the highest priority. The complexity of urban areas results from their spatial heterogeneity, their intertwined material and energy fluxes, and the integration of social and natural processes. All of these features can be altered by intentional planning and design. The complex, integrated suite of urban structures and processes together affect the adaptive resilience of urban systems, but also presupposes that planners can intervene in positive ways. As examples accumulate of linkage between sustainability and building/landscape design, such as the Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park and Toronto’s Lower Don River area, this book unites the ideas, data, and insights of ecologists and related scientists with those of urban designers. It aims to integrate a formerly atomized dialog to help both disciplines promote urban resilience.

This book begins by introducing the conceptual and contextual dimensions of sustainability and sustainable development. The authors then propose a sustainable human settlement model and elaborates on the methodology for its formulation, development and application. This model is used to assess and forecast the sustainability of urban communities by analyzing changes in the availability of open spaces and water, and variations in the rate of waste generation. It concludes with suggestions for further research.

Science for Better Environment: Proceedings of the International Congress on the Human Environment (HESC) focuses on the applications of science in health, human settlements, and protection of the environment. The selection first offers information on the background of HESC, including human settlements and habitat, environment and development, natural disasters, and energy. The text then discusses human’s place in natural ecosystems, along with essential properties of ecosystem, auto-regulation in ecosystem, and collapse of symbiosis between human and nature. The compilation presents a summary of the environmental problems in Japan, including progress and outstanding issues in the environmental field. The water pollution from 1970 to 1975 and air pollution control in the country are underscored. The text also explains the development of antipollution laws in the country. Topics include local government antipollution laws, creation of antipollution laws, and clarifying the responsibility of industries in antipollution drives. The book also touches on the role of scientists in the task of achieving a better environment; challenges of stress on human health in urban ecosystems; and environmental problems on a global scale. The selection is a dependable reference for readers interested in the application of science for the improvement of the environment.