Showing papers on "Urban ecosystem published in 2010"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a critical overview of the major ecological effects of increasing infrastructure to marine habitats, identify future research directions for advancing our understanding of marine urban ecosystems and highlight how alternative management options might mitigate their impacts.
Abstract: Summary
1. Coastal landscapes are being transformed as a consequence of the increasing demand for urban infrastructure to sustain commercial, residential and tourist activities. A variety of man-made structures, such as breakwaters, jetties and seawalls have thus become ubiquitous features of intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats. This transformation will accelerate in response to the exponential growth of human populations and to global changes, such as sea-level rise and increased frequency of extreme meteorological events (e.g. storms). Here, we provide a critical overview of the major ecological effects of increasing infrastructure to marine habitats, we identify future research directions for advancing our understanding of marine urban ecosystems and we highlight how alternative management options might mitigate their impacts.
2. Urban infrastructure supports different epibiota and associated assemblages and does not function as surrogate of natural rocky habitats. Its introduction in the intertidal zone or in near-shore waters can cause fragmentation and loss of natural habitats. Furthermore, the provision of novel habitat (hard substrata) along sedimentary shores can alter local and regional biodiversity by modifying natural patterns of dispersal of species, or by facilitating the establishment and spread of exotic species.
3. Attempts to use ecological criteria to solve problems of urban infrastructure are promising. Incorporating natural elements of habitat (e.g. wetland vegetation; seagrass) into shoreline stabilization can reduce ecological impacts, without impinging on its efficacy in halting erosion. Likewise, improving the ecological value of artificial structures by adding features of habitat that are generally missing from such structures (e.g. rock-pools) can contribute to mitigation of the detrimental effects of urbanization on biodiversity. Management of anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. maintenance works; harvesting) to artificial habitat is, however, necessary if such attempts are to be successful.
4. Synthesis and applications. Increasing our understanding of the ecological functioning of marine habitats created by urban infrastructure and incorporating ecological criteria into coastal engineering are crucial for preserving biodiversity in the face of the growth of human populations in coastal areas and of forecasted global changes. Achieving this goal will need strong collaboration between engineers, managers and ecologists.
761 citations
TL;DR: A review of the literature on urban agriculture as it applies to land use planning in the United States can be found in this paper, where a brief historical perspective of urban agriculture around the world, as well as more recent examples in United States are discussed.
Abstract: Urban agriculture offers an alternative land use for integrating multiple functions in densely populated areas. While urban agriculture has historically been an important element of cities in many developing countries, recent concerns about economic and food security have resulted in a growing movement to produce food in cities of developed countries including the United States. In these regions, urban agriculture offers a new frontier for land use planners and landscape designers to become involved in the development and transformation of cities to support community farms, allotment gardens, rooftop gardening, edible landscaping, urban forests, and other productive features of the urban environment. Despite the growing interest in urban agriculture, urban planners and landscape designers are often ill-equipped to integrate food-systems thinking into future plans for cities. The challenge (and opportunity) is to design urban agriculture spaces to be multifunctional, matching the specific needs and preferences of local residents, while also protecting the environment. This paper provides a review of the literature on urban agriculture as it applies to land use planning in the United States. The background includes a brief historical perspective of urban agriculture around the world, as well as more recent examples in the United States. Land use applications are considered for multiple scales, from efforts that consider an entire city, to those that impact a single building or garden. Barriers and constraints to urban agriculture are discussed, followed by research opportunities and methodological approaches that might be used to address them. This work has implications for urban planners, landscape designers, and extension agents, as opportunities to integrate urban agriculture into the fabric of our cities expand.
510 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors address the most important ecosystem services in functional urban regions in Finland and propose an approach for land-use planning to develop ecologically sustainable urban regions, which is not yet widely used in planning practices.
Abstract: Ecosystem services are vital for humans in urban regions. However, urban development poses a great risk for the ability of ecosystems to provide these services. In this paper we first address the most important ecosystem services in functional urban regions in Finland. Well accessible and good quality recreational ecosystem services, for example, provided by urban nature, are an important part of a high-quality living environment and important for public health. Vegetation of urban regions can have a role in carbon dioxide sequestration and thus in climate change mitigation. For instance, estimates of carbon sinks can be compared to total CO2 emissions of an urban region, and the municipality can aim at both increasing carbon sinks and decreasing CO2 emissions with proper land-use planning. Large and contiguous core nature areas, smaller green areas and ecological connections between them are the essence of regional ecological networks and are essential for maintaining interconnected habitats for species and thus biological diversity. Thus, both local and regional level ecological networks are vital for maintaining ecosystem services in urban regions. The impacts of climate change coupled with land-use and land cover change will bring serious challenges for maintaining ecosystem services in urban areas. Although not yet widely used in planning practices, the ecosystem services approach can provide an opportunity for land-use planning to develop ecologically sustainable urban regions. Currently, information on ecosystem services of urban regions is lacking and there is a need to improve the knowledge base for land-use planning.
425 citations
TL;DR: This work uses data from two urban centers and two taxa to link diversity loss with reduced community evenness among species in urban communities, and uses foraging efficiency as a mechanism to explain the loss of diversity.
Abstract: The global decline in biodiversity as a result of urbanization remains poorly understood. Whereas habitat destruction accounts for losses at the species level, it may not explain diversity loss at the community level, because urban centers also attract synanthropic species that do not necessarily exist in wildlands. Here we suggest an alternative framework for understanding this phenomenon: the competitive exclusion of native, nonsynanthropic species by invasive species. We use data from two urban centers (Phoenix and Baltimore) and two taxa (birds and spiders) to link diversity loss with reduced community evenness among species in urban communities. This reduction in evenness may be caused by a minority of invasive species dominating the majority of the resources, consequently excluding nonsynanthropic species that could otherwise adapt to urban conditions. We use foraging efficiency as a mechanism to explain the loss of diversity. Thus, to understand the effects of habitat conversion on biodiversity, and to sustain species-rich communities, future research should give more attention to interspecific interactions in urban settings.
410 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a central challenge for sustaining ecosystem services lies in addressing scale mismatches between ecological ecosystems and human well-being and the livability of cities, and the authors propose a solution to address this mismatch.
Abstract: Urban ecosystem services are crucial for human well-being and the livability of cities. A central challenge for sustaining ecosystem services lies in addressing scale mismatches between ecological ...
401 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors considered the urban village as a community of interest for urbanized villagers, a migrant settlement with low-rent housing, and an urban self-organized grassroots unit, respectively related to ambiguous property rights, an informal rental market, and the vacuum of state regulation.
357 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the specific origins and findings of studies on urban metabolism are reviewed, including material and substance flows, energy balances, ecological, water and, more generally, environmental footprints.
Abstract: Urban areas, in particular cities, are significant consumers of materials and energy, either directly on their land areas or indirectly through the materials, goods and services they import or export; there are upstream and downstream consequences of the removal of resources and the discharge of waste materials (to the atmosphere, water and soils), with multiple impacts on the biosphere. The processes involved need to be better characterised to reduce these environmental pressures. This is a sustainable development issue and it is a major goal of a field ecology which has been described as urban, industrial or sometimes territorial. This paper reviews the specific origins and findings of studies on urban metabolism. It describes the analysis tools used, including material and substance flows, energy balances, ecological, water and, more generally, environmental footprints. Finally, recent findings and areas for future research in the dematerialisation of urban societies are summarised.
263 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, results from the literature about trace elements in urban soils are presented to compare methodologies and results and to offer a basis for the harmonization of investigation approaches and establishment of remediation thresholds.
Abstract: Urban soils are an essential element of the city environment. However, studies on urban soils are scattered in terms of geographical distribution, sampling pattern, analytical dataset, etc. One of the major issues arising from the studies on this ecosystem is the diffusion of its contamination. In cities, in fact, the proximity to humans may cause a serious danger for citizens. In the present study, results from the literature about trace elements in urban soils are presented to compare methodologies and results and to offer a basis for the harmonization of investigation approaches and establishment of remediation thresholds. A total of 153 studies on the urban ecosystem published in the last 10 years were collected and data on trace elements in soils of 94 world cities were compared and discussed. Data highlights the discrepancies among different studies (sampling strategies, analytical procedures) and the extreme variability of urban soils. Most cities are contaminated by one or more trace elements, revealing the environmental relevance of the urban soil system. While Pb is still one of the major concerns in many locations, new contaminants are on the rise and would deserve more attention from the researchers. While in fact some contaminants are almost ubiquitous in world cities and could be used as tracers for urban contamination, some traffic-related elements such as platinum, rhodium, and palladium, whose reactivity and toxicity is still unknown, are becoming of concern. Collation of literature data highlights the need for the harmonization of sampling, analytical, and rendering procedures for regulatory purposes and provides a useful dataset for environmental scientists dealing with the urban ecosystem and for city planners. A sampling design adapted to local urban patterns, a prescribed sampling depth, and a minimum set of elements that deserve to be measured could be the core of a common methodology.
190 citations
TL;DR: Sustainable Urbanism Urban Design with Nature as mentioned in this paper is an urgent call to action and a comprehensive introduction to sustainable urbanism, the emerging and growing design reform movement that combines the creation and enhancement of walkable and diverse places with the need to build highperformance infrastructure and buildings.
Abstract: Sustainable Urbanism Urban Design With Written by the chair of the LEED-Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) initiative, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature is both an urgent call to action and a comprehensive introduction to \"sustainable urbanism\"--the emerging and growing design reform movement that combines the creation and enhancement of walkable and diverse places with the need to build high-performance infrastructure and buildings.
170 citations
Book•
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the field of urban ecology and the many potential roles of carnivores in urban ecosystems, details the general behavior and ecology of this group of mammals, and addresses the human side of potential conflicts between people and carnivores.
Abstract: With over half of the world's human population now living in cities, human-carnivore interaction in urban areas is a growing area of concern and research for wildlife managers, conservationists, urban planners, and the public at large. This volume brings together leading international carnivore researchers to explore the unique biological and ecological issues associated with mammalian carnivores in urban landscapes. Carnivores in urban areas are fascinating from an ecological standpoint. They elicit great passions-positive and negative-among humans and present difficult challenges for wildlife conservationists and managers. The first section of the book discusses the field of urban ecology and the many potential roles of carnivores in urban ecosystems, details the general behavior and ecology of this group of mammals, and addresses the human side of potential conflicts between people and carnivores in cities. The second section provides species accounts of the most common urban carnivores, including raccoons, coyotes, foxes, skunks, and mountain lions. A separate chapter examines the very specialized place of domesticated cats and dogs. The last section compares how various carnivore species fare in cities, looks at the utility of existing conservation and conflict management efforts, and suggests directions for further research and future management initiatives. This thorough examination of the conflicts and complications surrounding urban wildlife is the first to focus specifically on carnivores. It includes an extensive bibliography and is an essential reference for wildlife biologists, mammalogists, and urban planners.
154 citations
TL;DR: Couch, Lila Leontidou and Gerhard Petschel-Held as discussed by the authors, 2007 Oxford, Blackwell Publishing 296 pp., ISBN 9-781-40513-917-5.
Abstract: Chris Couch, Lila Leontidou & Gerhard Petschel-Held (Eds), 2007 Oxford, Blackwell Publishing 296 pp., ISBN 9-781-40513-917-5. £62.50 Urban Sprawl in Europe: Landscapes, Land-Use Change and Policy p...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the sustainability and dynamics of open-space vegetable production in cities of sub-Saharan Africa and compared it with data from other cities, using an adapted version of the Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Land Management developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Abstract: Urban agriculture can have many different expressions, varying from backyard gardening to poultry and livestock farming. This article focuses on crop production on larger open spaces in cities of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and investigates the sustainability and dynamics of this type of land use, which is common on undeveloped plots particularly in lowlands, such as in inland valleys, or along urban streams or drains. An adapted version of the Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Land Management (FESLM) developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was used to assess the sustainability of urban agriculture. As an example for dynamics, the spatio-temporal changes of open-space agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, are analyzed for the period from 1992 to 2005, and compared with data from other cities. Crop production on urban open spaces appears as a market-driven, highly productive and profitable phenomenon. However, it is often constrained by tenure insecurity and non-agricultural land demands. Also, the common use of polluted water limits the official support of irrigated urban farming. However, despite these constraints, the phenomenon of urban farming appears persistent and resilient to its changing environment, although individual farmers might have to shift to other sites when their plots are needed for construction. Open-space vegetable production in urban areas is a dynamic, viable and largely sustainable livelihood strategy, especially for poor urban dwellers. Spatio-temporal analysis shows that it is not a short-lived or transitional phenomenon—probably as long as it can maintain its comparative market advantage. However, its informal nature and resulting lack of political recognition need to be addressed.
TL;DR: The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) as mentioned in this paper is one of the largest networks in the world that consists of 40 field stations, 5 sub-centers and 1 synthesis center, covering almost all typical ecosystems in China.
TL;DR: It is suggested to conceptualize the urban ecosystem health as a process, which impels us to focus more studies on the dynamic trends of health status and projecting possible development scenarios.
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the role of fungi in urban ecosystems is presented, highlighting the potential for fungal conservation in cities if their ecology can be understood and communicated to land managers.
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the current status and benefits of America's urban forests, compare differences in urban forest canopy cover among regions, and discuss challenges facing urban forests and their implications for urban forest management.
Abstract: Close to 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas and depends on the essential ecological, economic, and social benefits provided by urban trees and forests. However, the distribution of urban tree cover and the benefits of urban forests vary across the United States, as do the challenges of sustaining this important resource. As urban areas expand across the country, the importance of the benefits that urban forests provide, as well as the challenges to their conservation and maintenance, will increase. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the current status and benefits of America's urban forests, compare differences in urban forest canopy cover among regions, and discuss challenges facing urban forests and their implications for urban forest management.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight the importance of the multifunctional use of urban green areas and argue that multitasking strategies may enhance the use of farmland within urban areas and that this may turn out to be a win-win situation, provided urban planners are able to understand the different motivations of local communities.
Abstract: This paper calls attention to the critical role of greenspaces in cities, while it overviews the many functions they provide. From a theoretical perspective, the utility function of urban greenspaces concerns multiple dimensions. Temporal, spatial and social aspects clearly need a taxonomic approach, which is also described in this study. Thus, the prominent goal of this paper is to highlight the importance of the multifunctional use of urban green areas. It is next argued that multitasking strategies may enhance the use of farmland within urban areas and that this may turn out to be a win—win situation, provided urban planners are able to understand the different motivations of local communities. These basic issues are essential in identifying and mapping out attractive developments for modern urban greenspaces.
TL;DR: In this article, stable isotope analysis was used to assess the exploitation of anthropogenic foods in an endangered carnivore, the San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica).
Abstract: The unprecedented rate of urbanization over the past several decades is a major concern for conservation globally and has given rise to the multidisciplinary field of urban ecology. This field explores the direct and indirect effects of human activities on food-web dynamics, community structure, and animal behavior in highly modified urban ecosystems. Urban ecosystems are typically characterized by reduced species diversity but increased abundance of a few species able to exploit anthropogenic food sources. For many urban mammalian and avian species direct resource subsidization is difficult to assess using traditional means such as scat analysis. Here we show how stable isotope analysis can be used to assess the exploitation of anthropogenic foods in an endangered carnivore, the San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) inhabiting the southern San Joaquin Valley in California. Examination of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope data shows that kit foxes living in urban Bakersfield, Calif...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate the importance of incorporating urban climate understanding and knowledge into urban planning processes to better develop cities that are more sustainable by drawing on recent research conducted in Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract: Current planning strategies for future urban development often target issues such as housing, transport, water and infrastructure; but very few strategies comprehensively consider the urban climate and its interaction with the built environment. By drawing on recent research conducted in Melbourne, Australia, this article demonstrates the importance of incorporating urban climate understanding and knowledge into urban planning processes to better develop cities that are more sustainable. Melbourne currently experiences the effects of a modified urban climate, with research demonstrating that during the night, urban areas are often warmer than surrounding rural landscapes: an effect known as the ‘urban heat island’. Recent studies also suggest that continuing current patterns of development without intervention would produce degraded urban climates with further exacerbated urban temperatures. With the urgency regarding the enhanced greenhouse effect, the urban heat island is an extremely important issue, a...
Book•
01 Jun 2010TL;DR: In this paper, the politics of governing cities, infrastructures and resource flows, and new' new' pressures: mediating cities, infrastructure and resources flows, are discussed.
Abstract: Contents Acknowledgements List of Figures List of Tables Introduction Part One: Theory, Concepts and Issues 1The Politics of Governing Cities, Infrastructures and Resource Flows 2'New' Pressures: Mediating Cities, Infrastructures and Resource Flows Part Two: Urban Responses 3Rebundled Urban Network Ecologies 4Secure Urbanism and Resilient Infrastructure in World Cities Part Three: Implications, Limits and Alternatives 5The 'Metropolitanisation' of Ecological Resources 6Conclusions: Producing Urban Ecological Security End Notes Glossary References and Bibliography
TL;DR: The authors explores how historians continue to create a barrier between the natural world and the city, and why the so-called declensionist narrative, humans as agents of harmful physical health, persists.
Abstract: This paper explores how historians—and others—continue to create a barrier between the natural world and the city, and why the so-called declensionist narrative—humans as agents of harmful physical...
TL;DR: In this paper, two aspects of resource use as a result of urbanization are examined: consumption of natural resources such as water and forest products; and transformation and use of land for urban activities.
TL;DR: In this paper, a method for conducting analyses of green space socio-ecological functionality and presenting the results of its application to Karachi, Pakistan has been presented, where the authors explore the use of results of an urban gradient analysis for site selection and present the results from an associated survey of functions using three case study green spaces.
Abstract: An important component of urban green space functionality is the way in which such spaces are perceived and used by urban residents. Use is affected by many factors including the nature and dynamics of urban morphology at the city and neighbourhood scale. This paper demonstrates a method for conducting analyses of green space socio-ecological functionality and presents the results of its application to Karachi, Pakistan. The paper explores the use of the results of an urban gradient analysis for site selection and presents the results of an associated survey of functions using three case study green spaces. The results show that, although urban dwellers in the city use green spaces infrequently, when they do it tends to be for long periods of time and for a range of purposes. Levels of overcrowding at the more accessible sites indicate the value that urban dwellers place on these resources, and their importance to the city as a whole. The results of this study provide evidence for the need to protect green spaces from the competing demands associated with increasing urbanisation, especially if the wider goal of urban sustainability is to be achieved.
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In urban environments, perhaps more so than in any other setting, people and nature must coexist in close, and sometimes uncomfortable, proximity as discussed by the authors, and understanding the value of urban green spaces as a resource requires an integration of several, rarely overlapping, approaches to evaluate and manage these places.
Abstract: In urban environments, perhaps more so than in any other setting, people and nature must coexist in close, and sometimes uncomfortable, proximity. With half of the world’s human population living in cities and a continued decline of biodiversity in the wider landscape, urban nature plays an increasingly important role in creating cities that are both ecologically and socially sustainable. However, understanding the value of urban green spaces as a resource requires an integration of several, rarely overlapping, approaches to evaluating and managing these places.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed the application of landscape ecology in planning urban ecological networks to conserve nature in urban landscapes and to develop a sustainable use of urban lands, which could help in defining sustainable landscape development, aiming for a balance between both physical and natural systems.
Abstract: The aim of this study is to propose the application of landscape ecology in planning urban ecological networks to conserve nature in urban landscapes and to develop a sustainable use of urban lands. Compared to the classical planning approach based on socio-economic land suitability, the principles of landscape ecology are helpful simultaneously conserving the ecological processes of landscapes and their steady changes. This approach could help in defining sustainable landscape development, aiming for a balance between both physical and natural systems in urban areas. This research is focused on the ecological networks in Tehran’s metropolitan area as a case study to provide a model for network planning in other urban areas, where urbanization seriously threats the natural environment. In concluding this research, the spatial structure and function of the area are studied and categorized based on the patch-corridor-matrix model. The paper concludes with methods of intervention and suggestions for the structural and functional improvement of urban landscapes towards achieving a more sustainable form of land use planning.
16 Apr 2010
01 Sep 2010
TL;DR: A plethora of papers exist that trumpet the value of urban green spaces as providers of benefits to both people and wildlife (James et al. 2009). as mentioned in this paper emphasises five means by which such spaces improve the urban environment: shaping the character of the city and its neighbourhoods, engendering a sense of place for city inhabitants, providing a range of physical (Maas et al 2006) and psychological (Hartig 2008) health benefits to people; supporting rich assemblages of wildlife, including many rare and endangered species (Gibson 1998; Mortberg & Wallentinus 2000);
Abstract: Introduction A plethora of papers exist that trumpet the value of urban green spaces as providers of benefits to both people and wildlife (James et al . 2009). This body of work emphasises five means by which such spaces improve the urban environment: (i) shaping the character of the city and its neighbourhoods (Pauleit 2003); (ii) engendering a sense of place for city inhabitants (Frumkin 2003); (iii) providing a range of physical (Maas et al . 2006) and psychological (Hartig 2008) health benefits to people; (iv) supporting rich assemblages of wildlife, including many rare and endangered species (Gibson 1998; Mortberg & Wallentinus 2000); and (v) possessing important environmental functions that scale to provide a wide range of ecosystem services (Bolund & Hunhammar 1999; Elmqvist et al . 2004). It is estimated that the number of urban areas with over a million people will grow by over 40% by 2015 (Crane & Kinzig 2005). To accommodate this rapidly increasing population and to reduce the deleterious impact of global sprawling cities (European Environment Agency 2006; Irwin & Bockstael 2007), in many countries regulatory bodies have created a range of policies on urban living, housing provision and city development that appear to be in conflict. On the one hand, policies exist espousing the utilisation of as much open space in cities as possible to meet construction targets for new-build housing (e.g. ODPM 2002a), while on the other hand different policy documents highlight the provision of green space for people and wildlife to enhance quality of life (e.g. EEA 2009).
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: For example, this article showed that most people on the planet live in towns and cities, and that the majority of their daily interactions with nature take place in urban environments. But our understanding of these interactions is still nascent, principally because their study requires work across several disciplinary boundaries.
Abstract: Since the dawn of human civilisation, people have interacted with nature, most notably to harness the resources that have fuelled the human enterprise (Vitousek et al . 1997). The sheer rate and scale of human appropriation of natural resources has precipitated a biodiversity crisis currently being manifested in rapid rates of species extinctions, extensive transformation of the structure and function of ecosystems, and rapid alterations to the Earth's climate (Vitousek et al . 1986; Pimm & Raven 2000). The biodiversity crisis is a result of human activity, so the solutions to it will depend largely on human actions, on understanding and enhancing the way that we all interact with nature (Collins et al . 2000; Ehrlich 2002). Because most people on the planet live in towns and cities, the majority of our daily interactions with nature take place in urban environments, and this has led to a recent upsurge of interest in the dynamics of these relationships (Bradshaw & Bekoff 2000; Miller & Hobbs 2002; Pyle 2003; Saunders et al . 2006). Despite the manifest impoverishment of the natural environment in urban areas, or perhaps because of it, many urban dwellers seek out interaction with nature in some form, for example by visiting a local green space, or feeding backyard birds. Yet our understanding of these interactions is nascent, principally because their study requires work across several disciplinary boundaries (Alberti et al . 2003; Braun 2005). For example, ecologists often lack the interest or the tools to study people (Collins et al . 2000).
Book•
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors introduce Megacities, Urban Form, and Sustainability, and discuss the challenges and opportunities for urban sustainability in the context of cities and cities.
Abstract: 1. Introduction: Megacities, Urban Form, and Sustainability 2. Tokyo's Urban Growth, Urban Form and Sustainability 3. In Search of Sustainable Urban Form for Seoul 4. Sustainable Development, Urban Form, and Megacity Governance and Planning in Tehran 5. Re-Forming the Megacity: Calcutta and the Rural-Urban Interface 6. Landscapes of Water in Delhi: Negotiating Global Norms and Local Cultures 7. Bangkok's Urban Evolution: Challenges and Opportunities for Urban Sustainability 8. Urban Dualism in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area 9. Strategic Planning for London: Integrating City Design and Urban Transportation 10. Towards an Ecological Urbanism for Istanbul 11. Toronto Megacity: Growth, Planning Institutions, Sustainability 12. Los Angeles: Urban Development in the Postsuburban Megacity 13. Mexico City: Power, Equity, and Sustainable Development 14. Bogota's Recovery Process 15. Socially Sustainable Urban Development: The Case of Sao Paulo 16. Sustainability and Urban Form: The Metropolitan Region of Buenos Aires 17. Megacity Sustainability: Urban Form, Development, and Governance