Urban Ecology Brings Life to the Cityby Mary Shacklett Most of us think of ecology as a discipline best practiced in the countryside, but in fact it can equally be practiced in highly urban settings. As a matter of fact, it is probably most needed in the city, because there are so many manmade challenges to sound ecological practices. Ecology, which addresses the connections between living things and between living things and their environments, is profoundly a part of the city. The urban ecosystem consists of people, animals, buildings, streets, freeways, air, water, cultures, arts and waste disposal systems. The success of a city, and the well-roundedness and health of its residents, depend upon a diverse base of interdependent systems that must balance with each other. Ecology in urban environments exists on multiple levels. There is the macro level of states, counties and cities, and how all of these systems work together to keep a total environment vital and growing. There is also the household level, which addresses what each of us (and those we live with) can do to further the health and the growth opportunities for the immediate environment we live in. Opportunities to make positive contributions to urban ecology abound. It is simply being aware of where those opportunities are, and how to implement them. A healthy urban environment offers its inhabitants a chance to relate to each other, and to celebrate in the place where they live. Ecologically sound cities provide a "sense of place" in the form of physical and cultural reference points that its inhabitants can strongly relate to and consider "their own." This sense of place links us to the past as well as to the present and the future. There are feelings of community pride and enriched interactions with others who share the same "place." Nature as well as culture and manmade artifacts all contribute to the equation. In its 1996 Regional Benchmarks and Indicators report, the Thurston County Regional Planning Council employed 14 different benchmarks, or indicators, in the implementation of its Growth Management Policy, which is a critical ingredient of urban ecology and its future practice. These indicators addressed the categories of population growth, transportation patterns and alternatives, economic health, environmental health, and housing patterns, availability and affordability. The study found that population densities were increasing over time for the North Urban Area of Lacey-Olympia-Tumwater and Yelm, and at the same time yielding less available future home construction opportunities in these areas as they attain a "fully developed" status. This made a comprehensive growth plan that managed urban growth in surrounding areas while balancing that growth with the preservation of extremely crucial natural habitats. However, at the same time, an increasing number of Thurston County commuters were not reducing their commutes to work. Most of these commuters were traveling alone in automobiles as well. Overall, the study found that water and air quality levels were being maintained and that housing was relatively available and affordable - but that these areas would need to be "worked on" to maintain or improve their current levels, particularly with projections of population growth in the county. The goal, then, is to create a balance between physical, environmental, demographic and social forces that welds together a vital urban area. All of these factors, together with residents' ability and willingness to pay for improvements and to make contributions on an individual level, are part of the urban ecology picture. For urban locales, there are several planning principles and initiatives which have been found to be successful in preserving and promoting a healthy urban ecology. One key to this process actually exists on the social level. It involves constructing a sense of neighborhood and community identity that creates and promotes internal unity and sense of purpose. This is achieved by building healthy neighborhoods that make it easy for residents to interact and exchange with each other. From a planning perspective, establishing community identity and vitality often takes the shape of integrating single- and multi-family dwellings with vital retail centers, bike paths, and parks that combine to give a community or an area within it a "flow" of activity that is conducive to residents interacting with and bonding with each other. These community ties promote pride and a sense of belonging. To the degree that foot traffic, bicycle traffic and local transit traffic are encouraged and utilized, these communities gain a sense of self-efficiency and self-containment that reduces residents' need to seek city amenities elsewhere. Promoting strong urban ecology can also be practiced at an individual level. There are numerous natural opportunities in the city. These range from studying the animals, wildlife and habitat which live within city boundaries, and are actually drawn to the city, to the practicing of recycling/waste management, urban gardening, localized tree planting and water/heat conservation. There is an urban ecosystem that is beginning to emerge as species of birds, fish, other animals and wildlife take to the city. Many of these city "newcomers" are establishing themselves because of former habitats that have been cleared. The warmer climate of cities (when compared to outlying areas) often allow plants to flower earlier, and animals to store more food. At a time when deforestation and other forces have compromised rural environments, urban ecosystems have actually expanded and reclaimed plants and animals with the systematic implementation of greenbelts and park areas. In Los Angeles, a model Eco-Home has been constructed to show what can be done on a small piece of land with a modest dwelling. The front yard is landscaped with plants that can survive on rain alone. Vegetable gardens and fruit trees are watered with a drip-irrigation system that conserves water by dripping it to each plant. Trimmed tree branches provide firewood, and leaves and kitchen scraps are composted and used as garden fertilizer. The home itself has photovoltaic (solar) cells that capture the sun's energy for overhead lighting, and rooftop panels provide heat for hot water. Metal, glass, newspapers and plastic are all recycled. In the Seattle area, a family makes a commitment to grow and sustain their lawn without the use of chemical pesticides. They "grass-cycle" by allowing grass clippings to remain on the lawn after mowing. The clippings provide a natural fertilizer that does not increase one's risk of cancer through exposure to chemical pesticides. The family augments this steady fertilizer diet with two slow-release organic fertilizer treatments each year. In Olympia, Dorothy Craig, Program Coordinator for the Sustainable Resources Roundtable, is renovating a 1920's home in Northeast Olympia as an eco-home with nontoxic insulation, composting toilets, recycled lumber, and an innovative system for utilizing and recycling "gray" water. "We used cellulose insulation in the walls," she noted ... "In the future, we would like to build a series of smaller dwelling units with a common building that everyone can use." Also in Olympia, the Energy Outreach Center provides research and assistance to local residents looking for energy-efficient alternatives for their homes and local environments. The center has publications, a library and regular seminars on a variety of ecology-sensitive topics. Ecology-oriented home actions can take a variety of forms. Gardens and lawns with native plants, fruits and vegetables are naturally harmonious with the local environment and can require less water and other resources. The same goes for trees. Gas and electric companies are willing and eager to share tips for reducing energy costs, and most city areas have recycling programs that can be participated in at the household level. Walking when possible, and using computers, the telephone and other home-based technology, can also save on the energy and expense of going to work or other places of commerce. This in turn contributes to reduced traffic congestion. "Cities are where the people are and where the pollution comes from," commented Sustainable Resources Committee Roundtable Coordinator Dorothy Craig. "It is where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now concentrating, and where you can make a difference." Mary Shacklett is a staff writer for the Green Pages. Resources
The Sustainable Community Roundtable
The Energy Outreach Center
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