Where there are cities there are also industries. In fact, the locations of many urban centres have been determined by the original location of industry. Thus many cities are at the confluence of rivers or on harbours making the transport of materials and products easier. The presence of fresh water is important for human consumption as well, making urban proximity to lakes or waterways a necessity.

In most urban centres there are cores of industrial, residential and natural areas. The ability of these different urban areas to support wildlife varies.

Industrial Areas

In Hamilton we are very familiar with the look of industrial areas. We have only to look down as we cross the Burlington Skyway and we can see the steel and other heavy industries that line the south shore of Hamilton Harbour.

Stelco shoreline. Photo by Betty Blashill.

These areas are not very good habitat for any species including us. In areas near industry there may be grassy ditches where a few hardy plants can survive and if there is garbage that contains food waste or other organic material racoons and gulls may pass through for a snack. Otherwise these landscapes are hostile to most life and are characterised by pavement and large buildings.

Many industrial processes involve the chemical and mechanical transformation of raw materials into a desired product. These processes result in waste by-products that must be disposed of and are often released as gases, fine particles and liquids into nearby areas. Regulation of how these materials are handled has increased once we began to discover that these materials are harmful to our health and the environment. Some of the major environmental concerns have been acid rain, phosphorus, POPs ('persistent organic pollutants', e.g. PCBs, poly-chlorinated biphenyls), sewage waste and more recently mercury and other heavy metals.

Residential Areas

Residential areas are our habitat. This is where most of us work, go to school and have our homes. Because we have created this habitat to suit our needs, the needs of other species are not often met.

Citizens create prairie garden at Board of Education in downtown Hamilton. Photo by Laurel McIvor.

However, there is enough vegetation and food in our urban neighbourhoods to attract wildlife, especially when residents make efforts to create more appealing landscapes in their yards and public spaces.

Both downtown and suburban areas are residential habitats.

In city cores, tall buildings dominate the landscape while at their bases paved roads and sidewalks cover most land. Downtown areas are known as "concrete jungles" for good reason: they are mostly made of concrete and we are the primates that inhabit them. Many people work downtown and many people live there in apartments.

Suburban neighbourhoods look very different from the city's core. Viewed from above, the most prominent feature is the roofs of all the houses and townhouses in rows. Most cities are built on a grid pattern, with most roadways in two major directions. This grid results in the very uniform appearance of the urban landscape.

Even though this is a very artificial landscape, there is still nature here. In mature neighbourhoods, green spaces, in particular large trees, can be numerous. There are many animals that take advantage of these green city areas such as Racoons (Procyon lotor), Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) and Grey Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis).

Racoon visiting backyard of house. Photo by Elaine Serena.

Natural Areas

Amidst the developed areas of the urban landscape, there may be larger zones of green that attract wildlife, providing a place to pass between natural habitats. These green patches are called 'habitat islands' because they are like islands in a sea of developed areas. When they connect larger natural areas to each other they are called habitat corridors because wildlife can pass through them easily.

Albion Falls in Red Hill Valley. Photo by John MacRae.

These islands and corridors are also vital to the quality of life of the human population. Spending time in these areas helps people feel more connected with their environment and many feel this reconnection with nature gives a sense of well-being.

The biggest natural area of this kind in Hamilton's urban landscape is the Red Hill Valley — a habitat corridor that connects Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment,

Aerial photo showing the Red Hill Valley as a continuous green space connecting Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment.

a very long habitat corridor in comparison to others. The Red Hill Valley is the only corridor of its kind left in Hamilton.

Conservation areas are the main habitat islands in the Hamilton area, and examples include the Dundas Valley and Royal Botanical Gardens' Nature Sanctuaries. These natural areas include wetlands, forests, prairies, creeks, escarpment and lakes. They are discussed in more detail in the sections on those habitats.