Cities and Nature

Cities and Nature illustrates how the city is part of the environment, and how it is subject to environmental constraints and opportunities. The city has been treated in geographical writings as only a social phenomena, and at the same time, environmental scientists have tended to ignore the urban. This book aims to reconnect the science and social science through the examination of the urban. It critiques the dominant academic discourse which ignores the environmental base of urban life and living, and discusses the urban natural environment and how this is subjected to social influences. The book is organized around three central themes: 1) urban environment in historical context; 2) issues in urban-nature relations ∧ 3) realigning urban-nature relations. It discusses ideas such as pollution as a physical environmental fact, often created or impacted by economic, cultural and political changes. Pollution, for example, is viewed as a social act: consuming patterns of everyday activities - driving, showering, shopping, eating - have environmental impacts. The authors seek to reintroduce a social science perspective in examining urban nature, the city and its physical environment. Cities and Nature clearly illustrates the physical and social elements of the urban environment and shows how these are important to examining the city. It includes further reading and boxed case studies on Bangladesh, Paris, Delhi, Rome, Cubatao, Thailand, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans and Toronto. This book will be an asset to students and researchers in Environmental Studies, Urban Studies and Planning.Short, John Rennie is the author of 'Cities and Nature', published 2008 under ISBN 9780415355896 and ISBN 0415355893.