Welcome Urbanauts!Summer Institute 2012

The Frontier of Urban Ecology: The Challenge of Rejuvenating America’s Cities

A recent Brookings Foundation Report showed that Los Angeles had the lowest per capita carbon emission of any major metropolitan area in the Continental United States – 1.413 metric tons/year

Sustainability Metrics – Happiness?

Los Angeles suffered terrible riots in the mid-1960’s

The Safeway Supermarket in the Watts section of LA burns during riots in the summer of 1965. By August 18th, thirty-four people died, 1000 buildings were destroyed… American cities were at their lowest point. In response, the middle class left urban centers by the millions - a demographic phenomenon dubbed white flight. As a nation, we have been struggling to recover from that legacy.

How do Modern Societies Connect – What forms the mosaic of of sustainable communities?

Peter Warden (Fan Page Analytics) found regional clusters in analyzing Facebook connections

Another density plot for the United States.Any guess as to which which metric?Thanks to Arsalan Modjbafan & Rachel Vermeulen from BIOL398, (AggData, Stephen Von Worley)

In General, Urban Dwellers Have a Higher Standard of Living

Urbanites tend to live longer, have lower infant mortality and experience fewer diseases. People have a much better chance of earning high wages. 180 cities were sampled and the data are adjusted to U.S. exchange rates.

Stewart Brand - The Long Now

Steve Carpenter (UWis): An Ecology for the Long Now – Sustainability professionals must have a much broader understanding of the past to have a chance at predicting or managing an uncertain and dynamic future.

10,000 year mechanical clock

Urbanist, writer and futurist - she engaged the possibility of urban renaissance long before it was fashionable

Legacy of Jane Jacobs (1916-2006):

…Sticking up for Cities

It may be that we have become so feckless as a people that we no longer care how things do work, but only what kind of quick, easy outer impression they give. If so, there is little hope for our cities or probably for much else in our society. But I do not think this is so… Jane Jacobs, The Death And Life of Great American Cities, 1961

Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961)

The Economy of Cities (1969)

The Question of Separation (1980)

Cities and the Wealth of Nations (1984)

Systems of Survival (1992) Dark Age Ahead (2004)

Our Goals for the Projects

Courtesy of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

About 4%

Brundtland Report – Sustainable developments are those that "meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (World Comm Econ Dev, 1987)

Paul Hawken from Blessed Unrest -Sustainability is about stabilizing the currently disruptive relationship between earth’s two most complex systems- human culture and the living world.

Human impacts on the environment

Deforestation

• Caused by demand for wood products, need for space, farmland, housing, roads

• Deforestation causes habitat fragmentation

• Animals and plants are forced into confined areas

The growth of cities has been most pronounced when the data are measured as changes in land use practices (sprawl)…

From: Platt, R. (2000) Ecological Cities Symposium at Boston College

Metro Area Population Growth 1970-1990

Growth in Urbanized Land

Chicago +4% +46%

Los Angeles

+45% +300%

New York +8% +65%

Seattle +38% +87%

Habitat Fragmentation Poses the Largest Threat to Urban Habitat

Nearly 1 billion acres of old growth forest habitat existed when the Pilgrims arrived in North America (1620). Currently, about 10 million acres remain and 700 million acres of regrowth. This reduction in habitat severely limits bird populations

Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus) are dominant avian species in mature woodlands. There populations are decimated by fragmentation

Theory of ChangeTheory of Change

Social and environmental well-being are inextricably linked. Healthy, vibrant cities are only possible if people understand and respect their environment, feel empowered and connected to others, and are engaged in transforming their urban communities into places where they want to live.

We must cease seeing the City as a problem. We must see the City

as the solution.The Charter of Calcutta, 1990.

Planting & Biodiversity Day @ Ballona Creek, July 2011

Human Development Within the Planetary Boundaries

Mitigation and Adaptation to Global environmental change

Ecological Resilience and the capacity to persist, adapt and transform in the face of shocks

Ecological functions and Ecosystem services

Biological Diversity

The Ecosystem

Patterns and processes of ecosystems•Primary production•Population•Organic matter•Nutrients•Disturbance

Biogeophysical drivers•Flow of energy•Cycling of matter•Community composition

Grimm et al.,2000, in press

Eugene Odum 1930’s: The Structure and Function of Nature

An integrative and iterative conceptual framework for socio-ecological research.

From: Hope, Diane (2003). Socioeconomics drive urban plant diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, July 22, 2003.

Plant biodiversity in cities can be influenced by human wealth

Variation in biodiversity has long been attributed to resource availability. In human dominated landscapes, family income and housing age provide the best explanation for variation in plant biodiversity. These findings by Nancy Grimm and her colleagues at the Phoenix LTER has been dubbed the luxury effect.

Research in urban neighborhoods in Phoenix suggest that bird diversity and human wealth are positively correlated

Similar to data from plant communities, wealthier neighborhoods had more species of birds. Some species such as the cactus wren (left) and hooded oriole (right) were only found in wealthy neighborhoods.

Bird species richness in Madrid is negatively associated with the amount of paved ground within the park boundaries

Typically, parks are designed with either an impervious landscape design - or with a “naturalistic” landscape relief. The latter design enhances avian biodiversity by allowing for a more heterogeneous environment.

Biodiversity declines as fraction of pavement increases

Data from the Human-Environment Research laboratory: Benefits of open space & parks

• Frances Kuo & William Sullivan @ UICB

• Lower levels of fear

• Less violent and aggressive behavior

• Fewer reported crimes

• More self-discipline for girls

• Reduced ADHD symptoms• Better neighbor relations.edu

A scene along the Chelsea Creek in Boston. In inner city neighborhoods, the greener

the area, the lower the crime rate.

U. Illinois website: www.herl.uiuc.edu/

Chicago Heat Wave of 1995

Over 700 heat related deaths in one week…

“According to emergency workers, the task was equivalent to handling one fatal jetliner crash per day for three consecutive days.”

Eric Klinenberg 2002, Heat Wave: A social autopsy of disaster in Chicago.

Humid air hangs over Chicago in the Summer of 1995 where temperatures reached 106 degrees.

Low incomeHigh income

Low social capital

High income

High Social Capital

Age: Children and Seniors

Heat Wave: a social autopsy of disaster in Chicago

The Mission: Engage stakeholders in inquiry-based learning across many fields of scholarship in order to develop skills in sustainability ideas, resilience theory and action outcomes

LMU students & local teachers gathering data at the 2011 Summer Institute

1. Novel course development2. Graduate Program3. Co-teaching of labs4. Locally relevant research5. GIS Post-Doc as LMU resource6. Program Mgr supporting field projects7. Public participation in research8. Linkage between college and

secondary school faculty and students

Opportunity to Link sociocultural to biophysical understanding: The Ballona Discovery Park and adjacent Ballona Wetlands serve many learning communities

Groundswell, choreographed and produced by LMU faculty member Kristen Smiarowski, was performed in Ballona in 2006, plus 2011

1. Art festivals as eco-activism

2. Urban resilience conferences

3. Trans-disciplinary journal: Cities and the Environment

4. Long term monitoring and feedback from stakeholders

Opportunity to Link Funding to Local Outcomes: Regional and national funders are raising the bar with respect to outcomes of funding – community engagement is key.

LMU students & local teachers from the 2011Summer Institute

1. NSF IMD: Local ecology curricula distributed nationally

2. NSF ITEST: Tools for student and citizen engagement

3. LA 2nd County: Citizen science and community building

4. NSF ULTRAex: Landscape and neighborhood research with local stakeholder engagement

The Ballona Discovery Park provides an extraordinary biological and social laboratory to develop and enhance the teacher/scholar

model for post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty

Juvenile tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) beg energetically for food as an adult arrives. They perform ecosystem services, but are limited by nesting habitat. A community-based effort led by LMU Center for Urban Resilience is currently underway to build and install 300 nest boxes.

Photo by Courtney McCammon