Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2024

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Environmental Studies

Advisor(s)

John Van Buren

Abstract

This paper discusses the phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, the causes of CCD, and how to mitigate the causes of the phenomenon while increasing the population of pollinators in cities, specifically in NYC. Chapter 1 analyzes the reasons behind the issue of pollination decline, examining well-established theories such as habitat loss and climate change, as well as other theories such as the prevalence of radio waves and how they interfere with the internal navigation of pollinators. Case studies of other nations and their situations are also included. Chapter 2 examines the history of New York City’s pollinators from its inception to the present day, citing which pollinators are present in this area and the major fluctuations in the levels of these pollinators and the reasons behind them, up to the reasons for the major pollinator decline in the city in the present day. Chapter 3 introduces the field of urban planning and architecture, analyzing how existing and new infrastructure can be optimized with new installations such as green roofs and hanging and community gardens which work to expand the floral land area of the city, which is just one way in which to augment the number of pollinators in the city. Chapter 4 delves into the politics of the matter, examining which policies are active in the city currently, and how the policies have been designed to allocate more resources to groups seeking to mitigate the current state of pollinator decline and ensure that significant changes are made so the current state of decline is not reached once again. Chapter 5 expands on Chapter 4, analyzing which policies the city has implemented have been helpful, which have been harmful, and what more can be done not only by the city government but also by the inhabitants of the city and what they can do to push the government at the city and state level to increase the levels of pollinators in the greater New York City area.

Keywords: Colony Collapse Disorder, Pollinator, Urban Planning

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