Cities as ‘Powerhouses of Evolution’

A new book on urban ecology shows how quickly wild species living in cities can adapt to their surroundings.

1 minute read

May 12, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By Katharine Jose


Bird

Pheobus / Shutterstock

At National Geographic, Simon Worrel interviews Menno Schilthuizan, an evolutionary biologist in field of urban ecology whose most recent book, Darwin Goes to Town, is about why and how natural selection of wild species occurs more rapidly inside of cities than outside of them.

“This is what we call HIREC, or human-induced rapid evolutionary change. We see that in cities and also in other environments where humans create a new habitat or ecological situation. In those places you see very, very fast evolutionary adaptations, which can take place in the space of decades or even years.”

The piece covers mosquitoes in the London Underground, bobcats in Los Angeles and plants in Montpellier, France, all of which are species that have evolved very quickly and in very discrete populations (like north and south of the 101) to better survive urban environments.

Saturday, May 5, 2018 in National Geographic

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Hospital Signs

Healthcare Providers Get in the Housing Business

Some hospitals and healthcare providers are partnering with affordable housing developers to connect housing to health services and create more affordable housing for hospital workers.

3 minutes ago - The New York Times

View of empty zebra crosswalk at intersection in Orlando, Florida with glass towers in background.

Orlando Pledges to Improve Walkability

A city report highlights successes and failures in building safer transportation infrastructure and reducing VMT in 2023.

1 hour ago - Yahoo News

Group of cheery riders inside a CDTA public transit bus.

New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard

The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.

2 hours ago - Mass Transit

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.