Opportunities and challenges for transformation of urban social-ecological systems

Ahjond Garmestani; J.B. Ruhl; Jorge H. Garcia; Herman Kasper Gilissen; Craig R  Allen; Tarsha Eason; Lance Gunderson; Helena van Rijswick; David  G Angeler

doi:10.1016/bs.aecr.2025.02.003

Opportunities and challenges for transformation of urban social-ecological systems

Ahjond Garmestani^*
, J.B. Ruhl
, Jorge H. Garcia
, Herman Kasper Gilissen
, Craig R Allen
, Tarsha Eason
, Lance Gunderson
, Helena van Rijswick
, David G Angeler

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Accelerating climate change and the possibility of triggering tipping points on Earth has led to increased calls for transformation (deliberately shifting to a new regime in response to climate change) of coupled systems of humans and nature (e.g., cities). In this paper, we discuss the underpinnings and framing of transformation for social-ecological systems. We illuminate this perspective by discussing opportunities and challenges for transformation with examples from cities (urban social-ecological systems) around the world. Our perspective is important for policy, as governments around the world have embraced linear responses to climate change as the preferred approaches for governance (e.g., water, coastal zones) in a world that will require transformations at multiple social-ecological scales in the post-Holocene future.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Ecological Horizons: From Nature to People, Part 1
Subtitle of host publication	Advances in Ecological Research
Editors	A.J. Dumbrell
Publisher	Elsevier
Pages	1-21
ISBN (Print)	978-0-443-41531-9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aecr.2025.02.003
Publication status	Published - Mar 2025

Publication series

Name	Advances in Ecological Research
Volume	72
ISSN (Print)	0065-2504

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025

Funding

The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or the policies of the U.S. government. No data in this study was provided by U.S. EPA therefore the study is not subject to U.S. EPA quality system requirements. This manuscript was improved with helpful input from Dr. Sarah Clement (Australian National University), Dr. Murray Scown (Lund University) and Dr. Bill Shuster (Wayne State University). We would also like to thank Abbey Snyder (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) for assistance with the figures and tables.

Funders
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lunds Universitet
U.S. government
Wayne State University
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Keywords

Adaptation
Cities
Governance
Green
Infrastructure
Policy
Scale
Social-ecological systems
Transformation
Urban

Access to Document

10.1016/bs.aecr.2025.02.003

Cite this

Garmestani, A., Ruhl, J. B., Garcia, J. H., Gilissen, H. K., Allen, C. R., Eason, T., Gunderson, L., van Rijswick, H., & G Angeler, D. (2025). Opportunities and challenges for transformation of urban social-ecological systems. In A. J. Dumbrell (Ed.), Ecological Horizons: From Nature to People, Part 1: Advances in Ecological Research (pp. 1-21). (Advances in Ecological Research; Vol. 72). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aecr.2025.02.003

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Garmestani, A, Ruhl, JB, Garcia, JH, Gilissen, HK, Allen, CR, Eason, T, Gunderson, L, van Rijswick, H & G Angeler, D 2025, Opportunities and challenges for transformation of urban social-ecological systems. in AJ Dumbrell (ed.), Ecological Horizons: From Nature to People, Part 1: Advances in Ecological Research. Advances in Ecological Research, vol. 72, Elsevier, pp. 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aecr.2025.02.003

Opportunities and challenges for transformation of urban social-ecological systems. / Garmestani, Ahjond; Ruhl, J.B.; Garcia, Jorge H. et al.
Ecological Horizons: From Nature to People, Part 1: Advances in Ecological Research. ed. / A.J. Dumbrell. Elsevier, 2025. p. 1-21 (Advances in Ecological Research; Vol. 72).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic › peer-review

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AB - Accelerating climate change and the possibility of triggering tipping points on Earth has led to increased calls for transformation (deliberately shifting to a new regime in response to climate change) of coupled systems of humans and nature (e.g., cities). In this paper, we discuss the underpinnings and framing of transformation for social-ecological systems. We illuminate this perspective by discussing opportunities and challenges for transformation with examples from cities (urban social-ecological systems) around the world. Our perspective is important for policy, as governments around the world have embraced linear responses to climate change as the preferred approaches for governance (e.g., water, coastal zones) in a world that will require transformations at multiple social-ecological scales in the post-Holocene future.

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Garmestani A, Ruhl JB, Garcia JH, Gilissen HK, Allen CR, Eason T et al. Opportunities and challenges for transformation of urban social-ecological systems. In Dumbrell AJ, editor, Ecological Horizons: From Nature to People, Part 1: Advances in Ecological Research. Elsevier. 2025. p. 1-21. (Advances in Ecological Research). Epub 2025 Feb 26. doi: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2025.02.003

Opportunities and challenges for transformation of urban social-ecological systems

Abstract

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Keywords

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