ABSTRACT

Urban centres, though they often arise on what was once a vibrant and complex landscape, are major sinks for natural resources. In a strict sense, ecological restoration seeks to re-establish the key ecological structures and functions of times past and return to a self-organizing and self-sustaining system. Where sufficient land and resources persist to allow ecological restoration projects at scale, the approaches and strategies employed in urban restoration projects largely mirror those discussed in other chapters. For example, a marsh restoration project in a coastal city may have complicating factors – altered hydrology or man-made substrates – but generally the principles discussed in Chapter 19 would apply.