Urban ecology is the study of the city and its consumption habits for the purpose of protecting its environment and reducing its ecological footprint. It studies several facets: transportation, habitat, the consumption of food and goods, and so on.
Ecology: “The science that studies the relationships between living beings (animals, plants, and micro-organisms) and their environment and other living beings. It is now synonymous with ecologism.” (Larousse Dictionary)
The ecological footprint is a representation of the quantity of “nature” required to allow the human economy to operate in a sustainable way (2). Specifically, it is interested in the most critical aspects of this quantity of “nature,” i.e., those relating to the living and regenerative elements of the earth’s ecosystem (the biosphere), the survival of which depends on its load capacity, which itself is characterized by two essential functions: its capacity to renew resources drawn from the biomass and its ability to assimilate [[definitions:u:urban_waste_management|waste]].
Source: http://base.d-p-h.info/fr/fiches/dph/fiche-dph-8555.html
Sites and information in French:
- Urban ecology website
- Urban ecology section, CITEGO
- Urban Ecology Center (Belgium)
- Urban Ecology Center (Montréal)
Sites and information in English:
- Site Urban Ecology
- Montreal urban and ecology center
- Urban Ecology in Australia
- Urban ecology (Washington University)
Sites and information in Spanish:
- Urban ecology degree at the General Sarmiento University (Argentina)
- Urban Ecology Agency (Barcelona, Spain)
- Collaboration between the Spanish government and the network of sustainable cities
File translated by Michael C. Behrent – Assistant Professor – Department of History – Appalachian State University – Boone, NC 28608