Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 15
Urban Ecology
S.T.A. Pickett and M.L. Cadenasso
Glossary
City
A dense, demographically and economically heterogeneous settlement
containing businesses, residences, intensive transportation infrastruc-
ture, multistory buildings, and warehousing or manufacturing.
Economies of cities focus on services, processing commodities,
manufacturing, or finance rather than on agricultural or resource
management. Cities are often characterized by a population represen-
ting diverse social groups and economic classes in relatively close
spatial proximity. As a caution, it should be noted that the term “city”
is sometimes used to refer to an entire urban (definition 1) area, and
sometimes used in a narrow sense to contrast with suburb (definition 2).
CSE
City-suburban-exurban system. A comprehensive term referring to all
components of a complex urban system, metropolitan area, or other
cluster of urban areas.
Ecology
The science of the relationship of organisms to each other and the
physical environment, and the transformation of resources mediated
by those interactions. Human ecology includes the social and institu-
tional structures established by people as components of the system
studied.
