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World map of urban areas. The brightest areas are the most urbanized, but not necessarily the most populated.

Urban

Urban habitats are areas dominated by human activities and human constructions. These include towns, cities and associated landscapes, such as landfill sites. It can almost be described as a patchwork of other habitats where buildings are artifical cliffs, sewers and drains are waterways, and parks, gardens and brownfield sites provide forests and meadows. Animals which have adapted to the urban environment are tolerant of the light and noise generated by human activity, and take advantage of the heat and the abundant food sources.

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What lives here?

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Ray-finned fishes

Insects

Arachnids

Snails and slugs

Where you find Urban

Map showing the location of the Urban habitat

About Urban

Urban ecosystems are the cities, towns, and urban strips constructed by humans.

This is the growth in the urban population and the supporting built infrastructure has affected both urban environments and also on areas which surround urban areas. These include semi or 'peri-urban' environments that fringe cities as well as agricultural and natural landscapes.

Scientists are now developing ways to measure and understand the effects of urbananisation on human and environmental health.

By considering urban areas as part of a broader ecological system, scientists can investigate how urban landscapes function and how they affect other landscapes with which they interact. In this context, urban environments are affected by their surrounding environment but also affect that environment. Knowing this may provide clues as to which alternative development options will lead to the best overall environmental outcome.

CSE's urban ecosystem research is focused on:

  • Understanding how cities work as ecological system
  • Developing sustainable approaches to development of city fringe areas that reduce negative impact on surrounding environments
  • Developing approaches to urban design that provide for health and opportunity for citizens.

Read more at Wikipedia

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