Broadening Urban Ecology

Urban ecology brings about many concerning ideas in the modern age. We face a time where the world is becoming more and more connected and where cities are becoming more crowded. The role of nature in the concrete environment comes in a variety of forms. Areas exist that are created by humans as a means of creating ecology within the urban environment as well as areas that are preserved by humans. Sadly, I believe the more common scenario is that of the former. As cities expand and grow, the presence of nature will only become more artificial and thus less natural with the forced creation of parks and artificial biome bubbles.

When one walks through the busy streets of a city's downtown they are bombarded by the noises of cars and buses driving by, while weaving through a mass of people in a rush. It can be a harsh environment that is constantly growing in size and volume. Accordingly, nature's presence has been destroyed within the cities and now, in the face of growing conservation efforts, there are efforts to compensate for the harshness of the urban world. It has become a common thing to find apartment complexes with central courtyards with flowerbeds or rooftop communal gardens for residents to share and develop. Yet, the question remains as to whether or not these are the correct methods for attacking the lack of nature in the city. By creating a facade of a natural environment and pushing for something that is not natural, does one risk the taking a step backward as opposed to a step forward in enhancing urban ecology?

The city is a city and there are no methods to perfectly integrate nature and cities in the present world to the lengths one would like. Therefore, if we improve the natural terrain surrounding a city then we may find a new urban ecology. Seattle, for instance, while boasting some beautiful natural environments within the city itself also manages to have a beautiful natural landscape full of hiking, kayaking, and other opportunities. The relationship is unique because a person may drive outside of the city and find forests, lakes, and mountains for exploring within minutes of leaving. In that respect, that may be the solution for current ecological problems, a separation not a synthesis. Keep a city as green as possible and let nature have a presence in its artificial ways but make stronger efforts in the ecology of a city itself by making its spatial location in the framework of its region more ecologically friendly.

This is not possible for all cities as many are within a web of many other cities, thus making the solution more complex. However, urban ecology is very complicated in its own right as it is study of the natural and the created and their relationship. To find the correct solution there simply needs to be an implementation of new techniques on all fronts within a city and outside of it for city-dwellers to foster a relationship with the natural world as well as the urban one.