Introduction

The introduction lays out the basic premises for the volume, starting with our conviction that the three major, interrelated crises of our time are climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequality. As educators, we see a focus on urban ecosystems in relation to global sustainability as paramount. A solution to these complex problems demands a combination of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, a willingness and capacity to apply the lessons of science to the humanities and vice versa, and to cultivate a transdisciplinary understanding of these complex phenomena in our classrooms and communities. Finally, given the accelerated pace of urbanization worldwide, we are especially concerned about the dynamics of these pressing problems in urban spaces and their implications for global solutions.