Urban Environmental Studies Home Page

Ecological problems and their consequences are concentrated in urban areas. Problems such as air pollution, exposure to toxic chemicals, noise, urban sprawl and groundwater contamination are endemic in cities, causing damage to ecological systems, property values, and human health. In the years to come, there will be an increasingly urgent need to move toward solving these problems.

The causes and the consequences of urban ecological problems are extremely complex, involving interplays between the physical and biological characteristics of the region, the development of the urban area's infrastructure, and the social, economic and political situation of the city. Solutions derived from an inadequate understanding of the confluence these factors often entail costly, ineffective regulations; unintended consequences that further damage the ecosystem; incompatible land uses; and increases in preventable health problems among urban populations. In an era of shrinking budgets and growing environmental problems, it is more urgent than ever that the people who will be charged with crafting solutions be broadly trained and thoroughly aware of all the ramifications of planning and regulatory decisions.