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1. Ethical considerations of urban ecological design and planning experiments

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10204  

   Pataki, Diane E. ; Santana, Carlos G. ; Hinners, Sarah J. ; Felson, Alexander J. ; Engebretson, Jesse ( June 2021 , PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET)

   It is increasingly common for plant scientists and urban planning and design professionals to collaborate on interdisciplinary teams that integrate scientific experiments into public and social urban spaces. However, neither the procedural ethics that govern scientific experimentation, nor the professional ethics of urban design and planning practice, fully account for the possible impacts of urban ecological experiments on local residents and communities. Scientists that participate in design and planning teams act as decision‐makers, and must expand their domain of ethical consideration accordingly. Conversely, practitioners who engage in ecological experiments take on the moral responsibilities inherent in generation of knowledge. To avoid potential harm to human and non‐human inhabitants of cities while maintaining scientific and professional integrity in research and practice, an integrated ethical framework is needed for urban ecological planning and design.

   While there are many ethical and procedural guidelines for scientists who wish to inform decision‐making and public policy, urban ecologists are increasingly embedded in planning and design teams to integrate scientific measurements and experiments into urban landscapes. These scientists are not just informing decision‐making – they are themselves acting as decision‐makers. As such, researchers take on additional moral obligations beyond scientific procedural ethics when designing and conducting ecological design and planning experiments. We describe the growing field of urban ecological design and planning and present a framework for expanding the ethical considerations of socioecological researchers and urban practitioners who collaborate on interdisciplinary teams. Drawing on existing ethical frameworks from a range of disciplines, we outline possible ways in which ecologists, social scientists, and practitioners should expand the traditional ethical considerations of their work to ensure that urban residents, communities, and non‐human entities are not harmed as researchers and practitioners carry out their individual obligations to clients, municipalities, and scientific practice. We present an integrated framework to aid in the development of ethical codes for research, practice, and education in integrated urban ecology, socioenvironmental sciences, and design and planning.

    

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2. Translational invasion ecology: bridging research and practice to address one of the greatest threats to biodiversity

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02584-7  

   Morelli, Toni Lyn ; Brown-Lima, Carrie J. ; Allen, Jenica M. ; Beaury, Evelyn M. ; Fusco, Emily J. ; Barker-Plotkin, Audrey ; Laginhas, Brittany B. ; Quirion, Brendan R. ; Griffin, Bridget ; McLaughlin, Blair ; et al ( January 2021 , Biological Invasions)

   null (Ed.)

   Effective natural resource management and policy is contingent on information generated by research. Conversely, the applicability of research depends on whether it is responsive to the needs and constraints of resource managers and policy makers. However, many scientific fields including invasion ecology suffer from a disconnect between research and practice. Despite strong socio-political imperatives, evidenced by extensive funding dedicated to addressing invasive species, the pairing of invasion ecology with stakeholder needs to support effective management and policy is lacking. As a potential solution, we propose translational invasion ecology (TIE). As an extension of translational ecology, as a framework to increase collaboration among scientists, practitioners, and policy makers to reduce negative impacts of invasive species. As an extension of translational ecology, TIE is an approach that embodies an intentional and inclusive process in which researchers, stakeholders, and decision makers collaborate to develop and implement ecological research via joint consideration of the ecological, sociological, economic, and/or political contexts in order to improve invasive species management. TIE ideally results in improved outcomes as well as shared benefits between researchers and managers. We delineate the steps of our proposed TIE approach and describe successful examples of ongoing TIE projects from the US and internationally. We suggest practical ways to begin incorporating TIE into research and management practices, including supporting boundary-spanning organizations and activities, expanding networks, sharing translational experiences, and measuring outcomes. We find that there is a need for strengthened boundary spanning, as well as funding and recognition for advancing translational approaches. As climate change and globalization exacerbate invasive species impacts, TIE provides a promising approach to generate actionable ecological research while improving outcomes of invasive species management and policy decisions. 

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3. Building transformative city-university sustainability partnerships: the Audacious Partnerships Process

   https://doi.org/10.1186/s42854-022-00045-5  

   Keeler, Lauren Withycombe ; Beaudoin, Fletcher ; Cid, Abril ; Cowley, Robert ; Fahy, Samantha ; Lerner, Amy ; Moran, Caroline ; Torney, Diarmuid ( December 2023 , Urban Transformations)

   Abstract City governments and urban universities are well-positioned to play critical roles in advancing urban sustainability transformations. However, in partnering, cities and universities often focus efforts on discrete sustainability-related projects, neglecting the development of long-term relationships and deep, inter-organizational ties that can allow for collaboration on lasting and transformational change. Yet, at both cities and universities there are often individuals who are deeply interested in developing better partnerships that contribute to the sustainability and livability of their communities. This research develops and tests an evidence-based and facilitated process to guide sustainability researchers and municipal practitioners in the development of transformational City-university partnerships for sustainability. The Audacious Partnerships Process was tested by four City-university partnerships including Arizona State University and the City of Tempe, Dublin City University and the City of Dublin, King’s College London and the City of Westminster and the National Autonomous University of Mexico and Mexico City. The Audacious Partnerships Process as well as results from post-surveys and interviews following implementation are elaborated. We conclude with key lessons for modifying and implementing the process to contribute to transformative partnership development. 

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4. Does Urban Agriculture Improve Food Security? Examining the Nexus of Food Access and Distribution of Urban Produced Foods in the United States: A Systematic Review

   https://doi.org/10.3390/su10092988  

   Siegner, Alana ; Sowerwine, Jennifer ; Acey, Charisma ( September 2018 , Sustainability)

   The aim of our review is to critically analyze the urban agriculture and urban food systems literature in order to understand the impact of urban-produced foods on community food security. We examine the role of city planning, food policy, and civic engagement in creating spaces for urban agriculture in cities across the United States, and whether (and how) these spaces promote food justice and food security. Bringing together multidisciplinary literature on access to urban agriculture and the distribution of urban-produced foods in a thematic, systematic review, we point out gaps in the academic research that would benefit from further study. The review integrates academic literature generated from Web of Science searches with gray literature identified through Google Alerts. We find that while there is a strong focus on elucidating the multiple benefits of urban agriculture, there are few studies that robustly measure the impact of urban farms on improving food security in low-income communities. Much of the literature is theoretical, focused on the production potential of urban agriculture, while more work is needed to understand and overcome barriers to access and distribution among communities in need. We conclude with a set of recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who seek to create spaces in cities for food justice, equity, access, and sovereignty. 

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5. Urban planning sustainability metrics for Arctic cities

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc37b  

   DiNapoli, Benjamin ; Jull, Matthew ( December 2020 , Environmental Research Letters)

   Changing conditions in the Arctic are prompting increased interest in measuring the performance of Arctic cities to assess challenges of urban sustainability and inform policy makers. This paper presents methods, analysis, and preliminary results from a cross-comparative study of urban planning sustainability indicators using metrics defined by the International Organization for Standardization’sISO 37120 Sustainable Cities and Communitiesfor 46 Arctic and near-Arctic cities. The framework for evaluating urban planning indicators described in this paper establishes a multi-method approach that defines the area of the city using local statistical units and utilizes a combination of remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and statistical data collection to calculate sustainability metrics. The results of this paper reveal several city- and regional-level characteristics of the Arctic cities in this study in terms of livability, efficiency, socio-economics and sustainability.

    

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