Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Approaches and Methods in Urban Ecology

Hultman, Johan LU (1993) In Geografiska Annaler. Series B. Human Geography 75(1). p.41-49
Abstract
In this article, different approaches to the field of urban ecology are distinguished. The focus lies on the approach characterized by looking at the city as an ecological system, since this view has given rise to the most fruitful discussion from a social geographical perspective. Further, references are made to four studies of applied urban ecology with short summaries of the most important conclusions. The perspective in the paper is mainly Swedish, but international outlooks are incorporated. The city is placed in a context where the urban landscape is part of a larger production/consumption landscape in which all anthropogenic endeavours must be taken into account. In relation to a key concept that has been established during the last... (More)
In this article, different approaches to the field of urban ecology are distinguished. The focus lies on the approach characterized by looking at the city as an ecological system, since this view has given rise to the most fruitful discussion from a social geographical perspective. Further, references are made to four studies of applied urban ecology with short summaries of the most important conclusions. The perspective in the paper is mainly Swedish, but international outlooks are incorporated. The city is placed in a context where the urban landscape is part of a larger production/consumption landscape in which all anthropogenic endeavours must be taken into account. In relation to a key concept that has been established during the last decade, cyclic material flows, the need to scrutinize smaller organizational units than the city is implied. Hereby, the household is forwarded as a significant subject for future urban ecological research. The paper also deals with the possible dangers of letting practical urban ecological projects progress without firm foundations in theoretical work. The characters of environmental problems change continually and contemporary solutions may soon become obsolete. This can be shown for the city during the last centuries, e.g. concerning waste treatment, sewage systems and fossil fuel transport. To avoid further short-term remedies at the cost of an escalated set of long-term problems, it is necessary to learn from experience and put greater effort into combining action with thought. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
household, cyclic material flows, urban ecology, waste
in
Geografiska Annaler. Series B. Human Geography
volume
75
issue
1
pages
41 - 49
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0027758288
ISSN
1468-0467
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6d896203-423a-4762-a07f-2a75747bdde2 (old id 1514510)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:05:14
date last changed
2021-01-03 07:45:10
@article{6d896203-423a-4762-a07f-2a75747bdde2,
  abstract     = {{In this article, different approaches to the field of urban ecology are distinguished. The focus lies on the approach characterized by looking at the city as an ecological system, since this view has given rise to the most fruitful discussion from a social geographical perspective. Further, references are made to four studies of applied urban ecology with short summaries of the most important conclusions. The perspective in the paper is mainly Swedish, but international outlooks are incorporated. The city is placed in a context where the urban landscape is part of a larger production/consumption landscape in which all anthropogenic endeavours must be taken into account. In relation to a key concept that has been established during the last decade, cyclic material flows, the need to scrutinize smaller organizational units than the city is implied. Hereby, the household is forwarded as a significant subject for future urban ecological research. The paper also deals with the possible dangers of letting practical urban ecological projects progress without firm foundations in theoretical work. The characters of environmental problems change continually and contemporary solutions may soon become obsolete. This can be shown for the city during the last centuries, e.g. concerning waste treatment, sewage systems and fossil fuel transport. To avoid further short-term remedies at the cost of an escalated set of long-term problems, it is necessary to learn from experience and put greater effort into combining action with thought.}},
  author       = {{Hultman, Johan}},
  issn         = {{1468-0467}},
  keywords     = {{household; cyclic material flows; urban ecology; waste}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{41--49}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Geografiska Annaler. Series B. Human Geography}},
  title        = {{Approaches and Methods in Urban Ecology}},
  volume       = {{75}},
  year         = {{1993}},
}