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Ecology for the Shrinking City
Dustin L Herrmann1, Kirsten Schwarz2, William D Shuster3
1Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Research Participant Program at the US Environmental Protection Agency, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bioscience
|July 2, 2020
Summary
Shrinking cities can leverage vacant land for ecosystem services and urban sustainability. This approach, applying urban ecology, transforms challenges into opportunities for sustainable development.
Area of Science:
- Urban Ecology
- Urban Planning
- Sustainability Science
Background:
- Shrinking cities face long-term population loss globally.
- Ecology for the city applies social-ecological understanding to urban development.
- Urban transformations differ between growing and shrinking cities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To integrate shrinking city concepts with urban ecology.
- To explore sustainable urban transformations in depopulating cities.
- To identify innovative pathways for urban sustainability in shrinking cities.
Main Methods:
- Applying social-ecological principles to urban form and function.
- Analyzing the potential of vacant land for ecosystem services.
- Leveraging shrinking as a catalyst for social change and transformation.
Main Results:
- Shrinking cities present unique opportunities for sustainable development.
- Vacant land in shrinking cities can be utilized for ecosystem services.
- Perceived crisis in shrinking cities can mobilize capacity for change.
Conclusions:
- Ecology for the shrinking city offers distinct solutions compared to growing cities.
- Innovative pathways can create desired amenities and provide ecosystem services.
- Urban ecology is crucial for achieving multi-scalar sustainability in shrinking cities.
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