Theory of Urban Heterogeneity
In order to plan for the next phase of BES, we are beginning to consider theoretical frameworks. Here is the current status of that search.A Multitude of Urban Theories. There are many theories relevant to urban ecosystems. …
Baltimore and Beijing: A Learning Expedition to China
Famously Rampant UrbanizationThis last summer, I had the pleasure of being hosted as a Visiting International Professor by the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences in Beijing. This center is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,…
BES Book of the Year, 2014-2015: Gottdiener and Hutchinson, The New Urban Sociology
The previous Book of the Year focused on bio-ecological theory. Because BES is a social-ecological research and education endeavor, the Project Management Committee agreed that this year our book should focus on social theory. An…
Does Urbanization Stop?
A lot of effort in urban ecological science around the world is now focused on the process of urbanization. This is reasonable because the demographic, social, environmental, and economic shifts toward urban in all its forms have become…
Collecting Data is the Most Abstract Thing You Can Do.
I borrowed that statement from Tim Allen, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin. Tim is a colleague of long standing, and I think he’s one of the best thinkers in ecology. His books on hierarchy and complexity repay…
What’s An Urban Long-Term Ecological Research Project To Do?
When in 1997 the National Science Foundation (NSF) requested proposals for up to two urban Long-Term Ecological sites to join the network of wild and production ecosystems that had been studied up to that point, it had both long-standing and…
