Chris Schell: Cities of futures past: Examining the social-ecological legacies affecting urban biodiversity and ecosystem health

To create a more just future for our ecosystems and societies, we have to look to our past. Past changes in our ecosystems impact present day ecosystem function, health and structure, just as historical social decisions (like policies) have longstanding legacies. Cities, in particular, provide a unique opportunity to explore the intersection where humans and their constructed ecosystems co-exist.

It is in these environments that we can interrogate how our past shapes our social-ecological present. Hence, if we hope to build resilient cities for our future, it is imperative that we deconstruct how past societal processes have shaped our ecological present.

In his talk, Dr. Chris Schell will explore how one of those social legacies enshrining residential segregation and disinvestment in Black neighborhoods (i.e., redlining) continues to influence social and environmental features of cities today.

Dr. Schell will also demonstrate how modern inequities in environmental health and socioeconomics have tangible impacts from human behaviour to biodiversity.

Original event date: Thursday, March 28, 2024, 7:00 pm