Urban Environmental Studies

Urban environmental studies are emerging as an integrated science aiming to understand extended urban areas that include not only biological and physical features but also economic and social components. These studies improve our [Page 2928]understanding of urban climate, hydrology, ecosystems, and environmental conditions and help us gain critical knowledge of how human and natural environments have interacted to motivate past urban environmental changes. The crux of science in urban environmental studies concerns the fluxes of energy, water, and carbon, how these fluxes are related to one another, and how they have changed over space and time. A better understanding of these science questions contributes to building a conceptual framework for sustaining the urban environment and thus enhancing the quality of life of its residents. The ...