Cities are not located outside the natural environment. Buildings, industry and urban infrastructure consume resources, change landscapes and discharge pollutants into air and waters. Forests, waterfronts and waterways within city limits serve as ecosystems and habitat corridors on which species depend. Where we site factories, freeways, and parkland impacts the health of urban residents and defines the character of urban neighborhoods.

The Center on Urban Environmental Law (CUEL) at Golden Gate University School of Law takes the city as a natural starting point to assess how the law shapes environmental conditions.