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Green Urban Political Ecologies: Toward a Better Understanding of Inner-City Environmental Change

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  • Nik Heynen

    (Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Bolton Hall 410, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413, USA)

Abstract

This research uses a Marxist urban political ecology framework to link processes of urban environmental metabolization explicitly to the consumption fund of the built environment. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I argue in this paper that Marxist notions of metabolism are ideal for investigating urban environmental change and the production of uneven urban environments. In so doing, I argue that despite the embeddedness of Harvey's circuits of capital within urban political economy, these connected notions still have a great deal to offer regarding better understanding relations between consumption and metabolization of urban environments. From this theoretical perspective, I investigate urban socionatural metabolization as a function of the broader socioeconomic processes related to urban restructuring within the USA between 1962 and 1993 in the Indianapolis inner-city urban forest. The research examines the relations between changes in household income and changes in urban forest canopy cover. The results of the research indicate that there was a significant decline over time in the Indianapolis urban forest canopy and that median household was related to these changes, thus demonstrating a concrete example of urban environmental metabolization.

Suggested Citation

  • Nik Heynen, 2006. "Green Urban Political Ecologies: Toward a Better Understanding of Inner-City Environmental Change," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 38(3), pages 499-516, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:38:y:2006:i:3:p:499-516
    DOI: 10.1068/a37365
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Sasanka Ghosh & Arijit Das & Tusar Kanti Hembram & Sunil Saha & Biswajeet Pradhan & Abdullah M. Alamri, 2020. "Impact of COVID-19 Induced Lockdown on Environmental Quality in Four Indian Megacities Using Landsat 8 OLI and TIRS-Derived Data and Mamdani Fuzzy Logic Modelling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-24, July.
    3. Antonio A. R. Ioris, 2014. "The Urban Political Ecology of Post-industrial Scottish Towns: Examining Greengairs and Ravenscraig," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(8), pages 1576-1592, June.
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    11. Alexandra Gulachenski & Bruno M. Ghersi & Amy E. Lesen & Michael J. Blum, 2016. "Abandonment, Ecological Assembly and Public Health Risks in Counter-Urbanizing Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-26, May.
    12. Andrew E. G. Jonas & David Gibbs & Aidan While, 2011. "The New Urban Politics as a Politics of Carbon Control," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(12), pages 2537-2554, September.
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    14. Qizhen Li & Saroj Thapa & Xijun Hu & Ziwei Luo & David J. Gibson, 2022. "The Relationship between Urban Green Space and Urban Expansion Based on Gravity Methods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, April.
    15. Audryana Nay & Peter H. Kahn & Joshua J. Lawler & Gregory N. Bratman, 2022. "Inequitable Changes to Time Spent in Urban Nature during COVID-19: A Case Study of Seattle, WA with Asian, Black, Latino, and White Residents," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-22, August.
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