Saskia Sassen

Berkshire Publishing Group, 2012

Abstract

Cities are a type of socio-ecological system that has an expanding range of connections with nature’s ecologies. As of 2012, most of these connections produce environmental damage: to mention just two cases, greenhouse gases pollute the atmosphere and felled trees contribute to desertifi cation. The carbon footprint of urbanites, therefore, is enormous. Can we begin to use these connections to produce positive outcomes—outcomes that allow cities to contribute to environmental sustainability? The complex systemic and multi-scalar capacities of cities have massive potential for a broad range of positive connections with nature’s ecologies.

View the article here: Cities and the Biosphere