2009/10/14 by Martin V. Melosi · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Environmental Science · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Religion, Ecology, and Ethics #American Environmental and Regional History #Historical Economic and Social Studies
paper · doi:10.1177/0096144209349876
openalex publication_date 2009/10/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/30
This paper explores how historians—and others—continue to create a barrier between the natural world and the city, and why the so-called declensionist narrative—humans as agents of harmful physical change—still dominates our understanding of the urban environment. It suggests several ways to reconsider the declensionist narrative; to evaluate the connection between “first nature” and “second nature;” to better understand the relationship between urban and ecological systems; and to assess how cities are natural.