Revisiting urban ecosystems analysis as a utility for policy makers for improving urban environment

The environmental problems faced by the urban areas are more complex now than at any other time in the past. In many parts of the world, notably in Pacific Asia, rapid economic growth and related socio-cultural changes are leading to the emergence of a complex array of environmental problems. Other phenomena increasing the complexity of urban environmental issues are the recent drives of globalization leading to more interconnectedness, decentralization and private provision of urban environmental infrastructure and services. In this increasingly complex urban environmental scene, new concepts and approaches are needed to deal with environmental problems. This paper revisits the Urban Ecosystems Analysis, highlighting its merits and pointing to new ways in which it can be organized, interpreted and applied. In doing so, the paper explores the utility of this concept to planners.