Embargo Period

8-10-2022

Degree Name

MA in Climate Change and Global Sustainability

First Advisor

Andrea Narvaez

Second Advisor

Andrea Narvaez

Abstract

This paper analyzes how urban living and design can be detrimental to the surrounding ecosystems and how it is directly affecting the biodiversity loss of an area. To answer this question, I first did extensive background research on urbanization, climate change, and biodiversity loss as it relates to urban ecosystems. Then, the public’s perceptions were collected through surveys and interviews in order to make meaningful suggestions in the construction of an interactive, biological corridor map. The results showed that increasing the biodiversity of an urban area can help to mitigate many of the common environmental challenges associated with living in an urban environment, such as lowering temperatures, boosting overall well-being of the residents, decreases in frequency of extreme weather events, and much more. The results of the surveys showed that the majority of the public did not fully understand what mitigation tools such as green infrastructures like green roofs and pollinator gardens, can do for the public. Thus, leading to the conclusion that the best way to mitigate such challenges is through educating the public on how to take action by increasing the biodiversity in easy ways. This led the type of information that would be released to the public. From an environmental perspective, it was surprising to learn how much of a difference increasing the biodiversity of an urban space can make. Additionally, the results of the surveys and interviews were unexpected because of how the willingness to change their lives for a better environmental future switched after gaining the education necessary to fully understand the challenges in this urban situation.

Disciplines

Biodiversity | Environmental Studies | Latin American Studies | Nature and Society Relations | Urban Studies and Planning

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Related Files Final Capstone Deliverable Kilmer.pdf (483 kB)

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