This workshop addressed the ecological factors that are central to the future livability of cities in our increasingly urban environment.
Urbanization is important in the United States.
The future of cities rests on their ability to be attractive to people and to sustain the integrity of their natural environment. Human settlements change the ecology of natural systems. Economic demands on both renewable and nonrenewable resources often damage the long-term ecological stability of city ecosystems. However, maintaining ecological processes may constrain short-term economic development. In this workshop we addressed this conundrum and discussed the criteria for measuring the effects of urban systems on regional and global ecological stability.