Explains how urban soils develop, change and erode. This book describes their physical and chemical properties and focuses on the specific soil properties that can cause environmental concern and also affect engineering works. It addresses issues such as green roofs, urban green space and the man-made urban soils that these may need to thrive in. 'For many years the focus of soil science and soil scientists has been on soils in natural or agricultural environments, with almost no attention paid to urban soils. As we have become aware of the need to understand the global soil cover, urban soils have been recognised as an important component of the soil cover which have distinctive soil development patterns and require specific management. This text draws attention to the particular nature of soils in urban environments and discusses their distinctive management.' Stephen Nortcliff, Secretary General, International Union of Soil Sciences, and Professor, Department of Soil Science, University of Reading, UK