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Linking Urbanization and the Environment: Conceptual and Empirical Advances

Annual Review of Environment and Resources

Urbanization is one of the biggest social transformations of modern time, driving and driven by multiple social, economic, and environmental processes. The impacts of urbanization on the environment are profound, multifaceted and are manifested at the local, regional, and global scale. This article reviews recent advances in conceptual and empirical knowledge linking urbanization and the environment, focusing on six core aspects: air pollution, ecosystems, land use, biogeochemical cycles and water pollution, solid waste management, and the climate. We identify several emerging trends and remaining questions in urban environmental research, including (a) increasing evidence on the amplified or accelerated environmental impacts of urbanization; (b) varying distribution patterns of impacts along geographical and other socio-economic gradients; (c) shifting focus from understanding and quantifying the impacts of urbanization toward understanding the processes and underlying mechanisms; ...

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• Published: 02 January 2020

Urbanization: a problem for the rich and the poor?

• Md Abdul Kuddus 1 , 2 , 4 ,
• Elizabeth Tynan 3 &
• Emma McBryde 1 , 2  

Public Health Reviews volume  41 , Article number:  1 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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Urbanization has long been associated with human development and progress, but recent studies have shown that urban settings can also lead to significant inequalities and health problems. This paper is concerned with the adverse impact of urbanization on both developed and developing nations and both wealthy and poor populations within those nations, addressing issues associated with public health problems in urban areas. The discussion in this paper will be of interest to policy makers. The paper advocates policies that improve the socio-economic conditions of the urban poor and promote their better health. Further, this discussion encourages wealthy people and nations to become better informed about the challenges that may arise when urbanization occurs in their regions without the required social supports and infrastructure.

Urbanization refers to the mass movement of populations from rural to urban settings and the consequent physical changes to urban settings. In 2019, the United Nations estimated that more than half the world’s population (4.2 billion people) now live in urban area and by 2041, this figure will increase to 6 billion people [ 1 ].

Cities are known to play multifaceted functions in all societies. They are the heart of technological development and economic growth of many nations, while at the same time serving as a breeding ground for poverty, inequality, environmental hazards, and communicable diseases [ 2 ]. When large numbers of people congregate in cities, many problems result, particularly for the poor. For example, many rural migrants who settle in an urban slum area bring their families and their domesticated animals—both pets and livestock—with them. This influx of humans and animals leads to vulnerability of all migrants to circulating communicable diseases and the potential to establish an urban transmission cycle. Further, most urban poor live in slums that are unregulated, have congested conditions, are overcrowded, are positioned near open sewers, and restricted to geographically dangerous areas such as hillsides, riverbanks, and water basins subject to landslides, flooding, or industrial hazards. All of these factors lead to the spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases, pollution, poor nutrition, road traffic, and so on [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The problems faced by the poor spill over to other city dwellers. As the trend to urbanization continues, this spillover effect increases and takes on a global dimension as more and more of the world’s populations are affected [ 3 ].

Some of the major health problems resulting from urbanization include poor nutrition, pollution-related health conditions and communicable diseases, poor sanitation and housing conditions, and related health conditions. These have direct impacts on individual quality of life, while straining public health systems and resources [ 6 ].

Urbanization has a major negative impact on the nutritional health of poor populations. Because they have limited financial resources and the cost of food is higher in cities, the urban poor lack nutritious diets and this leads to illness, which contributes to loss of appetite and poor absorption of nutrients among those affected. Furthermore, environmental contamination also contributes to undernutrition; street food is often prepared in unhygienic conditions, leading to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses (e.g., botulism, salmonellosis, and shigellosis) [ 6 ]. Urban dwellers also suffer from overnutrition and obesity, a growing global public health problem. Obesity and other lifestyle conditions contribute to chronic diseases (such as cancers, diabetes, and heart diseases). Although obesity is most common among the wealthy, international agencies have noted the emergence of increased weight among the middle class and poor in recent years [ 7 ].

Populations in poor nations that suffer from protein-energy malnutrition [ 8 ] have increased susceptibility to infection [ 9 ] through the impact of micronutrient deficiency on immune system development and function [ 10 ]. Around 168 million children under 5 are estimated to be malnourished and 76% of these children live in Asia [ 11 ]. At the same time, the World Health Organization is concerned that there is an emerging pandemic of obesity in poor countries that leads to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, and stroke [ 12 ].

Obesity is caused by increased caloric intake and decreased physical activity [ 13 ], something historically associated with wealth. However, people in urbanized areas of developing countries are also now vulnerable to obesity due to lack of physical space, continually sitting in workplaces, and excessive energy intake and low energy expenditure. In these areas, infrastructure is often lacking, including sufficient space for recreational activities. Further, in developing countries, as in developed countries, large employers frequently place head offices in urban capitals and work is increasingly sedentary in nature [ 14 ]. Another culprit associated with the risk of developing obesity is the change in food intake that has led to the so-called nutrition transition (increased the consumption of animal-source foods, sugar, fats and oils, refined grains, and processed foods) in urban areas. For instance, in China, dietary patterns have changed concomitantly with urbanization in the past 30 years, leading to increased obesity [ 15 ]. In 2003, the World Health Organization estimated that more than 300 million adults were affected, the majority in developed and highly urbanized countries [ 16 ]. Since then, the prevalence of obesity has increased. For example, in Australia, around 28% of adults were obese in 2014–2015 [ 17 ].

Pollution is another major contributor to poor health in urban environments. For instance, the World Health Organization estimated that 6.5 million people died (11.6% of all global deaths) as a consequence of indoor and outdoor air pollution and nearly 90% of air-pollution-related deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries [ 18 ]. Poor nutrition and pollution both contribute to a third major challenge for urban populations: communicable diseases. The poor live in congested conditions, near open sewers and stagnant water, and are therefore constantly exposed to unhealthy waste [ 6 ]. Inadequate sanitation can lead to the transmission of helminths and other intestinal parasites. Pollution (e.g., from CO 2 emission) from congested urban areas contributes to localized and global climate change and direct health problems, such as respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer for both the rich and the poor.

In addition to human-to-human transmission, animals and insects serve as efficient vectors for diseases within urban settings and do not discriminate between the rich and poor. The prevalence and impact of communicable diseases in urban settings, such as tuberculosis (TB), malaria, cholera, dengue, and others, is well established and of global concern.

National and international researchers and policy makers have explored various strategies to address such problems, yet the problems remain. For example, research on solutions for megacities has been ongoing since the early 1990s [ 19 , 20 ]. These studies have concluded that pollution, unreliable electricity, and non-functioning infrastructure are priority initiatives; nevertheless, air pollution, quality of water in cities, congestion, disaster management issues, and infrastructure are not being systematically addressed [ 19 , 20 ].

The impact of inner city transportation on health, such as road traffic, is emerging as a serious problem. Statistics show that a minimum of 10 people die every day on the railways in the city of Mumbai, India [ 21 ]. Vietnam is another example of a country that has seen a remarkable increase in road traffic accidents [ 22 ]. Improvements to the country’s infrastructure have not been able to meet the increasing growth of vehicular and human traffic on the street. Vietnam reportedly has a population of 95 million and more than 18 million motorbikes on its roads. A deliberate policy is needed to reduce accidents [ 21 ].

Although urbanization has become an irreversible phenomenon, some have argued that to resolve the problems of the city, we must tackle the root causes of the problem, such as improving the socio-economic situation of the urban poor.

Until the conditions in rural areas improve, populations will continue to migrate to urban settings. Given the challenges that rural development poses, the root causes are unlikely to be addressed in the near future. Therefore, governments and development agencies should concentrate on adapting to the challenges of urbanization, while seeking to reduce unplanned urbanization.

Some examples of policies and practices that should be considered include (i) policies that consider whole-of-life journeys, incorporating accessible employment, community participation, mobility/migration and social transition, to break generational poverty cycles; (ii) policies addressing urban environmental issues, such as planned urban space and taxes on the use of vehicles to reduce use or to encourage vehicles that use less fuel as well as encourage bicycle use, walking, and other forms of human transportation; (iii) greater cooperative planning between rural and urban regions to improve food security (e.g., subsidies for farmers providing locally produced, unprocessed and low cost food to urban centers); (iv) social protection and universal health coverage to reduce wealth disparity among urban dwellers; including introduction of programs and services for health, for example by establishing primary healthcare clinics accessible and affordable for all including those living in urban slums [ 23 ].

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the editor for his/her thoughtful comments and efforts towards improving the manuscript.

This work was conducted as a part of a PhD programme of the first authors and funded by the College of Medicine and Dentistry at the James Cook University, Australia (JCU-QLD-933347).

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Kuddus, M.A., Tynan, E. & McBryde, E. Urbanization: a problem for the rich and the poor?. Public Health Rev 41 , 1 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-019-0116-0

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A cloak of smog gives Fresno, California, a hazy look. Smog, a hybrid of the words "smoke" and "fog," is caused when sunlight reacts with airborne pollution, including ash, dust, and ground-level ozone.

Urban Threats

Urbanization spurs a unique set of issues to both humans and animals.

The promise of jobs and prosperity, among other factors, pulls people to cities. Half of the global population already lives in cities, and by 2050 two-thirds of the world's people are expected to live in urban areas. But in cities two of the most pressing problems facing the world today also come together: poverty and environmental degradation.

Poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments. Strong city planning will be essential in managing these and other difficulties as the world's urban areas swell.

• Intensive urban growth can lead to greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people.
• Concentrated energy use leads to greater air pollution with significant impact on human health.
• Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air.
• Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards.
• Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding .
• Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover.
• Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.
• Combat poverty by promoting economic development and job creation.
• Involve local community in local government.
• Reduce air pollution by upgrading energy use and alternative transport systems.
• Create private-public partnerships to provide services such as waste disposal and housing.
• Plant trees and incorporate the care of city green spaces as a key element in urban planning.

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• ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION
• AIR POLLUTION
• URBAN PLANNING
• WASTE MANAGEMENT

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Urbanization: Concept, Mechanism, and Global Implications

• First Online: 22 September 2019

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• Yuji Murayama 7 &
• Ronald C. Estoque 8  

Part of the book series: Advances in Geological Science ((AGS))

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Urbanization has two types of impacts: positive and negative. On the one hand, urbanization brings positive impacts to society as it helps improve the social and economic aspects of people’s lives. On the other hand, urbanization brings negative social and ecological impacts, both locally and globally. This chapter discusses the concept of urbanization in the context of human geoscience, including its history, mechanism, and trend in the modern world. It presents an overview of the negative ecological and social impacts associated with urbanization, such as urban heat island, air pollution, flooding, health, urban poverty, crimes and violence, and traffic congestion. This chapter also discusses the inclusion of urbanization to the global sustainable development agenda, as well as the importance of geospatial technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing, for urban monitoring towards sustainable urban development.

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Murayama, Y., Estoque, R.C. (2020). Urbanization: Concept, Mechanism, and Global Implications. In: Himiyama, Y., Satake, K., Oki, T. (eds) Human Geoscience. Advances in Geological Science. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9224-6_19

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Introductory essay

Written by the educators who created Ecofying Cities, a brief look at the key facts, tough questions and big ideas in their field. Begin this TED Study with a fascinating read that gives context and clarity to the material.

Right now, our economy operates as Paul Hawken said, "by stealing the future, selling it in the present and calling it GDP." And if we have another eight billion or seven billion people, living on a planet where their cities also steal the future, we're going to run out of future really fast. But if we think differently, I think that, in fact, we can have cities that are not only zero emissions, but have unlimited possibilities as well. Alex Steffen

The urgency of urban planning today

Within a few decades' time, we can expect the planet to become more crowded, resources more precious, and innovative urban planners increasingly important. By midcentury, the global population will likely top nine billion, and more than half will live in cities. What will these cities look like? Will we have the resources to power them and comfortably provide for their residents? Will global urbanization harmonize with efforts to curb climate change and secure a sustainable future, or are these forces hurtling towards a head-on collision?

The TED speakers featured in Ecofying Cities underscore the urgency, but also suggest that some optimism's in order as they outline the issues and offer imaginative solutions.

There's no single reason for or response to the complex environmental, economic and social challenges that are part of our future in cities. They call for multiple approaches, originating from different sources — individuals, communities, governments, businesses — and deployed at different levels — in the home, the neighborhood, the city, region, nation and across the globe — to respond to the challenges at hand. As Alex Steffen reminds the urban planners, architects, designers, elected leaders and others involved in the effort, "All those cities are opportunities."

Urbanism and the environment: A brief history

For centuries, successful city-building has required careful attention to the environmental consequences of urban development. Without this, as Jared Diamond demonstrated in Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed , a city inevitably ended up fouling its nest, thus entering a spiral of epidemics, economic hardship, decline and, ultimately, oblivion. Civilizations evolved different ways of dealing with environmental considerations — some with more success than others. For example, thanks to elaborate aqueducts and sewer systems, the Romans were able to build and sustain for centuries large cities that featured a reliable public water supply and state-of-the-art public health conditions.

In other civilizations, however, residents simply abandoned cities when they could no longer rely on their environment to supply the resources they needed. Often this was a direct result of their own activities: for example, deforestation and the attendant erosion of fertile soil, epidemics due to contaminated water and, with the advent of coal-fired industrialization, air pollution.

Urban planning got its start as a profession largely dedicated to averting different types of crises arising from urban growth and providing conditions for public health. This was particularly true in the many 19th century European and North American cities transformed by industrialization and unprecedented rates of population growth. Rapidly deteriorating air and water quality made it necessary to introduce regulations to protect the health of the residents of these cities.

The planners' first-generation improvements included sewers, water treatment and distribution, and improved air quality through building codes and increased urban green space. It's especially remarkable today to think that these interventions were adopted in response to observable health consequences, but without knowledge of the contamination mechanisms at work: germ theory didn't arrive on the scene until Louis Pasteur published his work in the 1860s. From the late 19th century onward Pasteur's findings bolstered the case for even more urban sanitation improvements, particularly those designed to improve water quality.

Starting in the 1950s, however, planners no longer narrowly targeted immediate health effects on urban residents as their chief environmental concern. Their work also absorbed and reflected Western society's deeper understanding of, and respect for, natural processes and growing awareness of the long-term environmental impacts of cities from the local to the planetary scale.

Rachel Carson is often credited as the first to popularize environmentalism. Published in 1962, her landmark book Silent Spring sounded a warning call about how pesticides endanger birds and entire ecological systems. Soon after, air pollution became a rallying point for environmentalists, as did the loss of large tracks of rural and natural land to accelerated, sprawling development. Today, sustainable development and smart growth, which largely overlap and address multiple environmental considerations, enjoy wide currency; most urban planning is now based on these principles.

Today, as we reckon with population growth, advancing rates of urbanization, and widespread recognition of climate change, we know that the cities of the future share a common destiny. The choices we make about how we build, inhabit and maintain these cities will have global and long-term effects.

Sustainable development: Two schools of thought

In modern urban planning, there are two general categories of sustainable development. The first doesn't challenge the present dynamics of the city, allowing them to remain largely low-density and automobile-oriented, but still makes them the object of measures aimed to reduce their environmental load (for example, green construction practices). Ian McHarg spearheaded this approach as a way to develop urban areas in harmony with natural systems; the planning principles he formulated gave special care to the preservation of water and green space. His lasting influence is visible in many of the more enlightened suburban developments of recent decades which respect the integrity of natural systems. Today, the Landscape Urbanism movement promotes these same ideas.

A second school of urban development focuses on increasing urban density and reducing reliance on the automobile. This approach advocates transit-oriented and mixed-use development along pedestrian-friendly "complete streets." On a regional scale, it aims to reduce sprawl by creating a network of higher-density multifunctional centers interconnected by public transit. Today, it's common for plans with a metropolitan scope to follow this approach.

Studying the city: About these materials

Cities are arguably the most complex human creation (with the possible exception of language) so it's not surprising that we study them at multiple scales and from diverse perspectives. We can approach cities through a narrow focus on an individual building or a neighborhood, expand the investigation to consider a metropolitan region in its entirety, or study the global system of cities and its interconnections. What's more, we can think about cities as built environments, social networks, modified ecologies, economic systems and political entities. Aware of the multiple ways that we engage with cities, the Romans had two words to refer to them: urbs referred to the physical city with its wall and buildings, and civitas , the city as a collection of residents.

Ecofying Cities explores urban areas at different scales. In some cases, the TED speaker focuses on a neighborhood project, like The High Line in Manhattan; others describe city-wide transformation, as in Curitiba, Brazil, or a regional or national initiative like China's plan for a network of eco-cities to house its growing urban population. Likewise, the talks explore cities from different disciplinary perspectives including urban planning, urban design, transportation planning, architecture, community organization and environmental science. What unites them all? A commitment to sustainability and a belief that sustainability is more about creating positive effects rather than reducing negative impacts.

The message emanating from Ecofying Cities is one of complexity, optimism and uncertainty. We can't be sure that the changes these speakers suggest will be enough to help us balance supply and demand in the sustainability equation. But we can expect that their ideas and efforts will improve the built environment — as well as quality of life — in cities, thereby providing hopeful perspectives for a sustainable future.

Let´s begin with writer and futurist Alex Steffen´s TEDTalk "The Sharable Future of Cities" for a look at the interplay between increasing urban density and energy consumption.

Alex Steffen

The shareable future of cities, relevant talks.

Jaime Lerner

A song of the city.

Majora Carter

Greening the ghetto.

Robert Hammond

Building a park in the sky.

Michael Pawlyn

Using nature's genius in architecture.

William McDonough

Cradle to cradle design.

James Howard Kunstler

The ghastly tragedy of the suburbs.

Ellen Dunham-Jones

Retrofitting suburbia.

Essay on Urbanization for Students and Children

500 words essay on urbanization.

Urbanization refers to the movement of the population from rural areas to urban areas. It is essentially the gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas. Furthermore, urbanization is quite a popular trend in the contemporary world. Moreover, people mostly undertake urbanization due to more work opportunities and a better standard of living. According to the expert prediction, by 2050, 64% of the developing world and 86% of the developed world will be urbanized.

Causes of Urbanization

First of all, political causes play a big role in urbanization. Many people get forced to leave rural areas for urban areas due to political unrest. Therefore, many families go to urban areas in search of food, shelter, and employment .

Another important cause of urbanization is an economic cause. Furthermore, poverty is a widespread phenomenon in rural areas. Moreover, farmers are finding it very hard to earn enough money and make a living. Consequently, rural people move to urban areas in search of better job opportunities.

Education is a strong cause of urbanization. Urban areas offer opportunities for seeking high-quality education. Moreover, urbanization offers opportunities for studying at universities and technical colleges. Such handsome education opportunities attract many young people in rural areas to move to urban areas.

Environmental degradation also plays a part in contributing to urbanization. Deforestation destroys the natural habitat of many farming families. Furthermore, mining and industrial expansion also harm the natural habitat of farming families.

The social cause is another notable reason for urbanization. Many young rural people migrate to urban areas in order to seek a better lifestyle. Moreover, many young people want to escape the conservative culture of rural areas. Most noteworthy, urban areas offer a more easy-going liberal lifestyle. Furthermore, cities have clubs to attract youth.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Benefits of Urbanization

First of all, urban areas are much more efficient in providing resources than rural areas. Important and basic amenities like housing, clean water, and electricity are easily available in urban areas.

People in urban areas find it quite easy to access to various important services. Most noteworthy, these services are high-quality education, expert health care, convenient transportation, entertainment, etc. Furthermore, some or all of the services are unavailable in rural areas.

Urban areas offer better employment opportunities. Furthermore, these employment opportunities are the result of industrialization and commercialization.

Urban areas play a critical role as creators and disseminators of knowledge. This is because of the highly connected urbanized world. Most noteworthy, the geographical proximity of people in urban areas helps in the propagation of ideas.

Urban areas enjoy the benefits of technological development. Furthermore, many types of technologies get implemented in urban areas. Moreover, urban people quickly get in touch with the latest technology. In contrast, many rural individuals remain ignorant of many types of technologies.

To sum it up, urbanization is a process which is on a continuous rise. Furthermore, urbanization ensures the transformation of rural culture into urban culture. Moreover, the government must be vigilant to the rapidly increasing urbanization. A fully urbanized world looks like the ultimate destiny of our world.

FAQs on Urbanization

Q1 State any two causes for urbanization?

A1 Any two causes for urbanization are high-quality education and good job opportunities in urban areas.

Q2 Why urban areas offer better employment opportunities?

A2 Urban areas offer better employment opportunities due to high industrialization and commercialization.

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Urbanization - Essay Samples And Topic Ideas For Free

Urbanization is the process by which populations move from rural to urban areas, leading to the expansion of urban centers. Essays on urbanization could discuss its driving factors, its impact on social, economic, and environmental systems, and the challenges and opportunities it presents. Additionally, discussions might include the planning and management of urban spaces, and the future of urbanization in the face of global changes. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to Urbanization you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

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Consequences of Urbanization in Malaysia

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Unemployment Rate and Urbanization

Relationship Between Real GDP Per Capita, Inflation Rate, Unemployment Rate and Urbanization Introduction Economic growth of a country id influenced by various factors such as inflation, urbanization and unemployment. These factors can also influence economic income of a country. The relationship between inflation and real GDP per capita is one of the most widely researched topics. According to Khan & Ssnhadji, (2001), inflation implies an increase in commodity prices which results into a decrease in purchasing power, which in turn […]

Causes and Effects of Wild Growth of Urban Population in China

Introduction Urbanization does more harm than good in China. Despite the rapid development in economics and culture, it still has room for improvement. Although China is doing well in both hardware and software, the quality of civic can be enhanced.In the past, China was mainly focused on agricultural development, and the lack of urban development made the economy of China. After The Chinese economic reform(????), the urban population increased rapidly because of this strategy, which attracted many foreign investments. So, […]

American Capitalism and the American Environment

For decades, the United States of America has been beheld as the champion of capitalism. A nation grown from a group of small English colonies into a world superpower, through relatively free market trade. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, American capitalism grew in a rapidly technologically advancing era without the challenge of a powerful opposing economic theory. Many Americans, even today, scoff at the idea of voting for a liberal candidate, using the term, "socialist," as […]

Internal Migration and Discrimination in India and China

Introduction In 2001 it was identified that out of 1.02 billion people in India, 307 million that is 30% of the population are the migrant which is slightly more than what is was 27.4% in 1991 excluding the province of Jammu and Kashmir. As per the 2001 census Maharashtra received the largest number of migrants, the number of migrant were 7.9 million and Delhi received second largest number of migrant having 5.6 million migrant populations. During the period of 1991 […]

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Industrialization represented only one form of the radical disorientation but sense of acceleration that Europeans experienced during the year 1820-45. (The West: A New History by Grafton and bell, page:603.) Industrialization means development in factories, from small scale to large scale and with infrastructure factories. It is a process from primary agriculture to textile manufacturing goods which have become more reasonable. It is a replacement from manual labor work to machine and technology. Before industrial revolution, Europe was a based-on […]

Urbanization Patterns Unfolded: Understanding the Hoyt Sector Model

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Monitoring, trends and impacts of light pollution

• Hector Linares Arroyo   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0034-3700 1 ,
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• Tobias Degen 3 , 4 ,
• Martin Aubé 5 , 6 ,
• Brian R. Espey 7 ,
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• Andreas Jechow   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7596-6366 3 , 10 ,
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• Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel 11 , 12 ,
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• Ken Walczak 8 &
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Light pollution has increased globally, with 80% of the total population now living under light-polluted skies. In this Review, we elucidate the scope and importance of light pollution and discuss techniques to monitor it. In urban areas, light emissions from sources such as street lights lead to a zenith radiance 40 times larger than that of an unpolluted night sky. Non-urban areas account for over 50% of the total night-time light observed by satellites, with contributions from sources such as transportation networks and resource extraction. Artificial light can disturb the migratory and reproductive behaviours of animals even at the low illuminances from diffuse skyglow. Additionally, lighting (indoor and outdoor) accounts for 20% of global electricity consumption and 6% of CO 2 emissions, leading to indirect environmental impacts and a financial cost. However, existing monitoring techniques can only perform a limited number of measurements throughout the night and lack spectral and spatial resolution. Therefore, satellites with improved spectral and spatial resolution are needed to enable time series analysis of light pollution trends throughout the night.

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Acknowledgements

A.A., A.S, C.C.M.K., F.H., H.L.A., M.A., M.K. and T.D. received funding for this work through ESA’s New Earth Observation Mission Ideas (NEOMI) program under contract 4000139244/22/NL. A.S.d.M. has been funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement number 847635 (UNA4CAREER). A.J. was supported by the project BELLVUE “Beleuchtungsplanung: Verfahren und Methoden für eine naturschutzfreundliche Beleuchtungsgestaltung” by the BfN with funds from the BMU (FKZ: 3521 84 1000).

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Trees are proven to lower the temperature in the environment and in people's moods

Trees proven to help boost mood and combat rising temperatures, one of many symptoms of climate change, experts say. 

“Nature is a great avenue for getting physical activity outside and can add some positive mental benefit if your activity is in more of a nature setting,” said Christopher Drescher, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. “It's also a great way to take a break and unplug from technology, which can have mental health benefits.”

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans' lives, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

Drescher said mental health focuses on the emotional, psychological and social well being of an individual. 

“Everyone's a little bit different and that's important to keep in mind,” said Drescher. “In general, there are some basic health behaviors everyone can be aware of that can help with mental health. This includes eating a well-balanced diet. A second very important thing we can do is make sure that we're getting an adequate amount of sleep. The third thing I think that is really important is our physical exercise.”

Drescher said finding time to unplug from technology and connect with nature is key.

“Unplugging  from technology can have mental health benefits,” he said. “Eating and cooking can be done outside. There have been some studies that use activities like eating or cooking in nature that have shown at least some short-term benefits on mental health.”

Studies show that living within 100 meters of a tree reduces rates of depression. City dwellers with access to adequate green space experience 31% less psychological distress, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.  For every 1% increase in green space, urban residents have a corresponding decline in stress levels. Children who live near sufficient green space have a lower risk of developing mental health issues in adulthood.

“Generally speaking, nature’s relationship to mental health is that nature has a positive effect on the psychological well-being, social functioning and cognitive skills of those that spend time in nature,” said Drescher. 

Drescher said there are signs to lookout for that signal it’s time to reach out to a mental healthcare provider.

“We all experience periods of stress in our lives that could be related to different factors," he said. “But if you’re feeling constantly stressed for a long period of time, then that's a signal that you may need more professional help. How much is this causing a problem in my life? Is the problem affecting your ability to work, play your role within your family, take care of yourself? If so, it might be time to get professional help.”

Lauren Marshall, senior manager for program innovation at the Arbor Day Foundation, said urban heat is the largest mortality event of a natural disaster compared to all other natural disasters combined.

“A tree can lower the ambient temperature by up to 10 degrees,” said Marshall. “It’s this inexpensive, scalable, very usable way to decrease temperature and mortality events in neighborhoods that need it the most. It's the reason that we often say, ‘The time for trees is now,’ because we're facing all of these different stressors in our world that trees can be a part of remediating.”

Around 80% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas and faces particular climate risks, experts say. 

Cities are dominated by pavement, buildings, and dense infrastructure that hold heat and are prone to flooding from stormwater runoff. These built environments can amplify the risks associated with extreme heat and heavy rainfall events made more likely in our warming climate.

“Trees filter stormwater, clean the air, so they're certainly good for physical health and things like decreasing asthma rates,” said Marshall. “I don't think people know about the mental health benefits of trees. Research suggests that being around nature in general and trees specifically, is really helpful to your mental health. People who live closer to green space are more likely to have lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress.”

Eighty-seven percent of Americans believe planting trees helps fight climate change, according to The Arbor Day Foundation Canopy Report. 

“Lack of trees in some areas is a pretty big environmental justice issue,” said Marshall. “We see that historically underserved and redlined communities have less tree canopy and less access to green space than their wealthier counterparts. We end up with a really big inequity when looking at who gets to have the mental health benefits of trees.”

Pecans make for a great treat It's National Pecan Day: Learn more about the nut that's so important to Georgia

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at [email protected] or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.

Environmental Educator

Urban Ecology Center

• Milwaukee, WI
• Posted 2 days ago
• $40,685-$43,940 / Year

The Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, WI is hiring several educators to join their team at the end of this summer! The positions available include:

• Bilingual Environmental Educators at Menomonee Valley (full-time and part-time)
• Environmental Educators at Washington Park (full-time and part-time)
• Early Childhood Environmental Educators, all branches (full-time and part-time)
• Community Programs Educators, all branches (part-time)

As an Environmental Educator, you will engage school-age children in learning about nature and environmental science. During the school year, you will align teaching with school district and classroom curriculum requirements. This program requires creative design, a passion for working with kids, and the implementation of innovative, inquiry-based programs about natural history, science, ecology, and environmental issues for school children K-12. During the summer, the educator will develop and lead camper-centered and nature-based activities for summer day camps with a focus on outdoor recreation and ecological sustainability. The Environmental Educator will assist with the daily operations of the Urban Ecology Center along with program development, intern coaching, and volunteer recruitment and training.

To apply for this job please visit urbanecologycenter.bamboohr.com .

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Congratulations to brandt geist on earning a 2024 esi pilot research grant award.

Posted by taylov1 on Thursday, May 30, 2024 in Uncategorized .

Congratulations to Brandt Geist on earning a 2024 ESI Pilot Research Grant award

Congratulations to one of our graduate students, Brandt Geist, for earning a 2024 ESI (Evolutionary Studies Initiative) Pilot Research Grant award.

Brandt’s research addresses the pressing issue of artificial light at night (ALAN) and its impact in the urban environment. Urban plants provide essential ecosystem services, but the increasing spread of ALAN, which disrupts phenology such as budburst and senescence, poses significant challenges.

Utilizing high-resolution nighttime light data from the SDGSAT-1 satellite and phenology data from NASA’s VIIRS, the study critically assesses how municipal policies aimed at mitigating ALAN influence these ecological and evolutionary processes. The research will offer novel insights into how urban lighting policies can minimize light pollution and thus preserve the phenology of urban plants.

The research is being conducted under the guidance of Dr. Lin Meng, along with committee members Dr. Steven L. Goodbred, Jr. and Dr. Maria Luisa Jorge. The outcomes of this research are expected to significantly contribute to urban planning and the development of sustainable lighting solutions.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Urbanization Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
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Urbanization is here to stay. It might slow down but stopping it is not something that will come any sooner. Discover more in this this pros and cons of urbanization essay.

Introduction

Advantages of urbanization, disadvantages of urbanization, reference list.

Urbanization is a process where people move from rural areas to urban areas to seek higher standards of living. People living in rural areas are faced with unpredictable weather conditions which affect their livelihood; therefore, these people move to cities to seek a better life.

Contrary to rural areas, cities give these people opportunities to live a better life; there are industries, learning institutions, and social services which attract these people more (Andersen, 2002). As these people gain from these essential services, they also face problems caused by their increasing number; therefore, this paper will explore the advantages and disadvantages of urbanization.

The cities are known to be efficient in that less effort is required to supply basic amenities, for example, electricity and fresh water. People who migrate to the cities enjoy these amenities, which are difficult to access in rural areas. The cities also make considerable use of space; there are a lot of flats which accommodate a lot of people in a small land area. There are also recycling programs which make use of waste material such as tins and waste papers; this helps in cleaning the city and providing jobs to those coming from rural areas.

Cities have a lot of social facilities such as health facilities, education centers, social services, as well as cultural activities, these facilities are essential for the development and healthy being of a population (Tolley and Vinod, 2006).

People leave from rural areas to cities to have easy access to these facilities; with all the social facilities, education and cultural activities, people in cities live a sophisticated and comfortable life. Cities also have advanced transport and communication networks which make movement and communication much easier.

During the development of cities, people settled in areas which had well established natural resources; therefore, most cities have a lot of resources around and within (DeBlij et al., 2010). These resources are easily exploited because of the availability of facilities and labor in the cities, which leads to economic development and improvement of living standards of the city dwellers (Varthoulakis, 2008).

The availability of these resources and labor from the city leads to the development of manufacturing and service industries around the city, creating employment for the population from rural areas (Savage, 2005).

Cities have well-established universities, colleges, and schools; these make them the best place for developing human resources. There are varieties of courses from different fields and levels, and students who move to cities have a wide choice of careers to choose from; this means that most of them will pursue careers of their choice, making their levels of success high.

After completing college and university education, students have a lot of job opportunities, also, for those who want to create job opportunities they have better prospects of starting businesses or projects (Andersen, 2002). Also, there are varieties of financial institutions for people to deposit their savings and borrow money for investments. This creates a favorable environment for investment and development.

People move to urban areas from different regions, religions, and castes, and despite these differences, they live and work together. As they live together, they learn and understand each other, and this assist in getting rid of social and cultural barriers, which is always the center of conflicts; since many people live in cities, a country with many cities will have less conflict.

People living in rural areas also benefit from urbanization; most of these people are engaged in farming, and their farm produces need to market. They always appreciate the existence of cities because they consume their farm produce in exchange for money, and this helps them to improve economically (Potsiou, 2010).

Imagine a country where everyone lives in rural areas and has land. There would be a lot of wastage because everyone will have enough for himself or herself. Urbanization also helps to ease pressure on agricultural land; as people move to urban centers, they give more space for agriculture and, therefore, the agricultural industry is boosted (Potsiou, 2010). The country will produce more agricultural goods, and this will ensure food security.

As people continue to move to urban areas, pollution becomes a major issue in cities. Energy becomes inadequate, and some people resolve to illegal electricity connections and others address to the use of inefficient cooking fuels such as firewood and charcoal, which increases the number of carbon emissions (Marchand, 1998).

An example is Kozani in Greece, which is the most polluting city in Europe. The population of cars also increases as the number of people in cities increases, and this leads to the rise in the use of diesel and hence, the increase in carbon emissions

The population increase in cities brings about problems in transportation as well as traffic management. This is evident in cities such as Mumbai, which has close to 18 million citizens, with 55.5% of the population going on foot and 21.9% use train (Potsiou, 2010).

This city has few people with cars; however, over 20,000 have died because of the overcrowded train with a minimum of 10 people per day (Potsiou, 2010). Vietnam is another case, with over 18 million motorbikes and one million vehicles, and with narrow roads, the number of accidents associated with traffic has increased.

Urbanization leads to an increase in the number of people on limited land in cities; the rise in number exceeds the supply of water, which results in water shortages; hence, hygiene is compromised. Also, the population, after using water, it disposes of the wastewater on land which creates overburden disposal; this creates a less appealing sight, lousy odor emanating from the sewage and flies which are attracted by the dirty water (Arnaud et al., 2004).

As the population increases, fresh water in urbanized cities becomes expensive, and some of the people opt to take water from the nearby streams; this water is untreated and can cause diseases such as cholera.

Also, the water in these rivers are contaminated with untreated discharged in them, and these rivers drain their water into the sea where drinking water and water for irrigation is drawn; this can cause diseases for people using the sea water for drinking (Marchand, 1998). In New Delhi, sewerage was used for watering agricultural lands without care of the effects it can cause on human beings.

Cities with high populations face problems of garbage management. An example is the city of Athens, which has produced six thousand tons of garbage daily; the disposal of this garbage has become a problem for the city as the population continues to grow. Many countries have resolved to use landfills for disposal of waste, which is yet another way of contaminating the soil. Greece got into problems with the EU for operating 1,102 open landfills; however, they have reduced the number of operating landfills to 400 (Potsiou, 2010).

The increasing number of people in the cities has led to the need for building affordable houses; most cities with high population lack development policies and this has led to informal development (Arnaud et al., 2004).

The people cut down trees and built on land without any authorization from the landowners, and sometimes these people are evicted from the land and left to look for another place to settle. Slums have been built in urban areas, and they are characterized by poor sizing and quality construction, violation of land-use and no access to essential services. These are areas which crime develops because most of the people living in slums have insufficient job opportunities; they choose to engage in criminal activities for their survival.

Urbanization is here to stay, it might slow down but stopping it is not something that will come any sooner. Therefore, the primary way to minimize the problems caused by urbanization is to plan for all amenities and resources available for the comfort of the public without putting more pressure on society and the environment.

The cities should use the cardinal rule, where their growth is planned, rather than letting them grow on their own. As the local government plans for the city, it should make sure that there is adequate infrastructure to support the growing population and residential areas should be located near civic bodies to improve service provision.

To reduce rural-urban migration, job opportunities can be created in rural areas. This will reduce stress exerted on cities by the increasing number of people. Restricting people to move to cities cannot be used to solve problems associated with urbanization. This is because each citizen has a right to move and settle anywhere as long as he or she is not infringing on other people’s rights.

Andersen, L., 2002. Rural-urban migration in Bolivia: advantages and disadvantages . Web.

Arnaud, A. et al, 2004. Urbanization – impacts . Web.

DeBlij, H. et al., 2010. Global geography . New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Marchand, Y., 1998. The challenges of urbanization . Web.

Potsiou, C., 2010. Rapid urbanization and megacities: the need for spatial information management . Copenhagen: The International Federation of Surveyors.

Savage, M., 2005. Globalization and belonging . New York: SAGE.

Tolley, G. & Vinod, T., 2006. An overview of urban growth: problems, policies, and evaluation . Web.

Varthoulakis, V., 2008. Development of cities . New York: SAGE.

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IvyPanda. (2018, October 17). Advantages and Disadvantages of Urbanization Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/urbanization-advantages-and-disadvantages/

"Advantages and Disadvantages of Urbanization Essay." IvyPanda , 17 Oct. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/urbanization-advantages-and-disadvantages/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Advantages and Disadvantages of Urbanization Essay'. 17 October.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Advantages and Disadvantages of Urbanization Essay." October 17, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/urbanization-advantages-and-disadvantages/.

1. IvyPanda . "Advantages and Disadvantages of Urbanization Essay." October 17, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/urbanization-advantages-and-disadvantages/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Advantages and Disadvantages of Urbanization Essay." October 17, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/urbanization-advantages-and-disadvantages/.

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ASHRAE Issues Call for Papers for IEQ 2025

Submission deadline is november 11, 2024.

• 30 May 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         

MEDIA CONTACT:

Karen Buckley Washington Senior Public Relations Specialist [email protected]

ASHRAE Issues Call for Papers for IEQ 2025  Submission deadline is November 11, 2024

ATLANTA (May 30, 2024) – ASHRAE is accepting papers for the IEQ (Indoor Environmental Quality) 2025 Conference , co-organized by ASHRAE and AIVC, to be held September 24-26, 2025, in Montreal, Canada.

The conference expands upon the research and discussions of the former ASHRAE IAQ conference series that began in 1986. The theme of the conference is “Rising to New Challenges: Connecting IEQ to a Sustainable Future” and focuses on the increasing understanding of how occupants respond to various indoor environmental factors while enhancing resilience in the face of a changing climate.

"Incorporating sustainability into building design and operation is a key goal for ASHRAE and the broader buildings community,” said Iain Walker, conference co-chair. “This conference will focus on the relationships between IEQ and sustainability, offering a platform for industry leading researchers and practitioners to share their knowledge and solutions for address sustainability challenges."    

“One aspect of IEQ in the built environment is to raise awareness of resilience without incurring resource penalties in our dynamic world,” said Jennifer Isenbeck, co-chair. “This conference will provide a collaborative framework to showcase advanced technologies, materials selection and their integration into building designs and retrofits, all of which support sustainability and resilience in our communities.”

The conference steering committee seeks papers on the following topics:

• Performance Metrics: For all aspects of IEQ
• Occupant Behavior: How behavior impacts IEQ and how IEQ impacts behavior - psychological dimensions of IEQ
• Smart Sensors, Data and Controls: Sensor properties, data management, cybersecurity, applications, commissioning, equivalence
• Resilience and IEQ: Responding to climate change and disasters
• Ventilation: Mechanical, passive, natural and hybrid systems
• Air Tightness: Trends, methods and impacts
• Thermal Comfort: Dynamic approaches, health impacts and trends
• Policy and Standards: Trends, impacts, implications
• HVAC and IEQ in a post-COVID world
• Ventilation and building decarbonization

Authors have the option to submit a short abstract for either a conference paper (8-page manuscript) or an extended abstract (3-page manuscript). Short abstract submissions are due November 11, 2024. If accepted, complete manuscript submissions are due March 10, 2025. For more information or to submit an abstract, visit ashrae.org/IEQ2025 .

About ASHRAE Founded in 1894, ASHRAE is a global professional society committed to serve humanity by advancing the arts and sciences of heating ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and their allied fields. As an industry leader in research , standards writing , publishing , certification and continuing education , ASHRAE and its members are dedicated to promoting a healthy and sustainable built environment for all, through strategic partnerships with organizations in the HVAC&R community and across related industries. The Society is showcasing integrated building solutions and sustainability in action through the opening of the ASHRAE Global Headquarters building in metro-Atlanta, Georgia. For more information and to stay up-to-date on ASHRAE, visit ashrae.org and connect on Instagram , LinkedIn ,   Facebook , X and YouTube .