<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Despite growing interest in the application of evolutionary concepts to research questions in human geography, the literature is largely characterised by metaphors or analogies that are disconnected from a broader evolutionary theoretical framework. This paper takes initial steps toward developing such a framework for the subfield of urban geography by defining critical elements and relationships from Darwinian and multilevel selection theories. It then synthesises those components in an application to the issues of urban blight and disorder, to demonstrate how an evolutionary understanding of urban spatial phenomena - an “evolutionary urban geography” - can produce new insights for managing complex processes.</p></abstract>

Despite growing interest in the application of evolutionary concepts to research questions in human geography, the literature is largely characterised by metaphors or analogies that are disconnected from a broader evolutionary theoretical framework. This paper takes initial steps toward developing such a framework for the subfield of urban geography by defining critical elements and relationships from Darwinian and multilevel selection theories. It then synthesises those components in an application to the issues of urban blight and disorder, to demonstrate how an evolutionary understanding of urban spatial phenomena - an “evolutionary urban geography” - can produce new insights for managing complex processes.

Urban Geography Evolving: Toward an Evolutionary Urban Geography

Department of Environmental Studies, MS GIS Program, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA, USA

Quaestiones Geographicae

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Urban Geography Evolving: Toward an Evolutionary Urban Geography"}

Despite growing interest in the application of evolutionary concepts to research questions in human geography, the literature is largely characterised by...

Urban Geography Evolving: Toward an Evolutionary Urban Geography

Published Online: Jun 17, 2014

Page range: 7 - 18

Received: Jul 24, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/quageo-2014-0012

Keywords
evolutionary urban geography, urban change, urban decline, evolution

© Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Urban Geography Evolving: Toward an Evolutionary Urban Geography

Published Online: Jun 17, 2014

Page range: 7 - 18

Received: Jul 24, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/quageo-2014-0012

Keywordsevolutionary urban geography, urban change, urban decline, evolution

© Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
evolutionary urban geography, urban change, urban decline, evolution