Towns and cities are viewed as modified, human-dominated ecosystems which require a flow of resources from where energy, water, and materials are extracted, and concentrated wastes are released, which are then detoxified and absorbed by nature. Efforts to increase the reuse and recycling of waste materials can be seen as shifting the ecosystem into a more cyclic form, closer to the pattern of natural ecosystems. As natural landscapes are transformed, some areas get isolated and lose connectivity from other areas, and start functioning in silos, affecting performance and overall resilience in the deliverance of ecosystem services. Undervaluing the ecosystem services has led to patterns of unsustainable resource usage, resulting in environmental degradation.
The book Transforming Cities: Insights for Planning Sustainability & Ecological Restoration focuses on protecting the essential benefits nature provides to create sustainable habitats, including clean air, water purification, pollination, and climate regulation. Ecosystem services need to be integrated into land-use planning for their role in supporting livelihoods and ecotourism, nutrient recycling, soil formation, and climate change mitigation. Chapters include an urban water sustainability assessment using a metabolic approach; water conservation and management using indigenous practices in the Thanjavur district; an impact assessment of coastal development for Daman in the context of climate change; and the role of ecosystem services in climate change adaptation.
Transforming Cities: Insights for Planning Sustainability & Ecological
Dr. Nirmita Mehrotra is a prominent academician and administrator at Gautam Buddha University (GBU), Greater Noida. She currently serves as the Head of the Department of Architecture & Planning within the School of Engineering. As a faculty member and administrator, her work bridges the gap between traditional architecture and modern sustainable urbanism.


