THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT

Over half of the global population now lives in urban areas, and 22 cities have populations over 10 million. By 2030, the number of people living in urban areas will exceed 5 billion. We can no longer engage in environmental policy that disregards urban space. In this issue, we explore the issues of the urban environment and our very human reactions to nature in the city.

Degrees Between Life and Death - Sydney O'Shaughnessy

 "A man dressed in gray slacks, a white-striped button down shirt and a blue tie blots his brow and takes a cursory look at the honking cars, concrete buildings, sidewalks and streets. He’s been walking for ten minutes, and already..."

The Problem of City - Peter Zibinski

"By 2030, it’s expected that more than half of the world’s 9 billion people will live in in an urban area and more than half of the urban areas needed to house these people have yet to be built..."

Edged Out - Marieme Foote

"The air is heavy and dense, and sweat trickles down my neck.I am standing in the middle of a dry open field – one of the few open lots of land in the city of Dakar the capital of Senegal.. . . ."

Honest Landfill: Chicago - James Landahl

"Tucked away in the old southside Chicago neighborhood of Bridgeport, hidden beside the bustling Stephenson Expressway . . ."

The Zhang Kia Bang River - Ellie Corne

"Black cotton shoes. Wrinkled skin, resembling snake-like remains of dried waterways . . ."

Safety In Numbers: The Tale of a Tree - Denise O'Leary

"2009. On the corner of 209th and Hull, lawn chairs line the edge of the sidewalk. . . ."

On the Rails - Laura Waxman

"Welcome to the path – a skinny green ribbon that twists and turns and weaves . . ."

The Food Divide - Jami Sassone

"The image of smoggy concrete skyline and the headlines on growing urban populations . . ."

The Unspoken Language - George Lewis

"In the Boreal forest of central Ontario, trees gathered around me while the sun set over the lake . . ."

Observations at the Duck Pond - Matthew Jones

"On a warm March afternoon, in the midst of Virginia Tech’s campus and its buildings of dead dolomite limestone . . ."

Wild City - Faith Meckley

"Like any major city, San Francisco is loud, bright, cluttered, sometimes stinky, with construction projects sprinkled throughout. When I parked my van . . ."

Global Climate Change, Cities, and the Presidential Campaign - Alex Gable

"Perhaps especially if you live in a city with its urban heat islands hotter than surrounding areas. . ."