Towns, Ecology, and the Land

Towns and villages are sometimes viewed as minor, even quaint, spots, whereas this book boldly reconceptualizes these places as important dynamic environmental 'hotspots'. Multitudes of towns and villages with nearly half the world's population characterize perhaps half the global land surface. The book's pages feature ecological patterns, processes, and change, as well as human dimensions, both within towns and in strong connections and effects on surrounding agricultural land, forest land, and arid land. Towns, small to large, and villages are examined with spatial and cultural lenses. Ecological dimensions - water, soil and air systems, together with habitats, plants, wildlife and biodiversity - are highlighted. A concluding section presents concepts for making better towns and better land. From a pioneer in both landscape ecology and urban ecology, this highly international town ecology book opens an important frontier for researchers, students, professors, and professionals including environmental, town, and conservation planners.

Part I. Town Patterns, Processes, Change: 1. Town, village, and land spatial patterns; 2. Flows and movements; 3. Change; 4. Human dimensions; Part II. Ecological Dimensions of Towns: 5. Soil, chemicals, air; 6. Water systems and waterbodies; 7. Plants, habitats, greenspaces; 8. Diverse animals and town pattern; Part III. Town and Land Interactions: 9. Commercial, industrial, and residential areas; 10. Cropland, pastureland, and towns; 11. Forestland, aridland, and towns; 12. Tying transportation, towns, and land together; Part IV. Town Ecology Principles and Solutions: 13. Toward better towns, better land.

Richard T. T. Forman is Research Professor in Landscape Ecology at Harvard University, Massachusetts, where he teaches Urban and Town Ecology. Often considered a 'father' of Landscape Ecology and Road Ecology, he helped spearhead Urban Ecology, and has received honours, awards, medals and honorary doctorates from universities across the world. His books include Landscape Ecology (1986), award-winning Land Mosaics (Cambridge, 1995), Urban Regions (Cambridge, 2008) and award-finalist Urban Ecology (Cambridge, 2014). He received an award for excellence in teaching, and has served for many years on boards for town planning and land-protection non-profit organizations.