Bradley Bereitschaft, Ph.D.
Department of Geography and Geology
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
CV | Contact
What makes a city successful? How can some cities stand at the forefront of innovation and economic growth, while others seem doomed to stagnation and decay? Why are some cities safer, healthier, and more inclusive than others? And perhaps most importantly, what can we do to make cities more livable places for everyone? In this, the first century in which over half the world's population lives in cities, questions such as these have never taken on greater importance.
In my research I tackle questions of urban livability and sustainability from a variety of perspectives. Much of my work to date has concerned the physical environment of cities and the impact of urban form and design on urban environmental quality. Most recently, my research has focused on the urban-environmental, social, and economic effects of the new "creative-knowledge economy" and neo-liberal "creative city" urban policies.
Bereitschaft, B. forthcoming. Gods of the city? Reflecting on city building games as an early introduction to urban systems. Journal of Geography.
Bereitschaft, B., and Cammack, R. 2015. forthcoming. Georeferenced data
employed in the spatial analysis of neighborhood diversity and creative class
share in Chicago. Data in Brief.
Bereitschaft, B., and Cammack, R. 2015. Neighborhood diversity and the creative class in Chicago. Applied Geography. 63: 166-183.
Bereitschaft, B. 2015. Pedestrian exposure to near-roadway PM2.5 in mixed-use urban corridors: A case study of Omaha, Nebraska. Sustainable Cities and Society. 15: 64-74.
Bereitschaft, B. 2014. Neighborhood change among creative-cultural districts in mid-sized U.S. metropolitan areas, 2000-2010. Regional Studies, Regional Science. 1(1): 158-183.
Debbage, K., Bereitschaft, B., and Beaver, E. 2014. The geography of non-earned income in the Piedmont Megapolitan Cluster. Southeastern Geographer. 54(2): 97-117.
Bereitschaft, B., and Debbage, K. 2014. Regional variations in urban fragmentation among U.S. metropolitan and megapolitan areas. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy. 7(2): 119-147.
Bereitschaft, B., and Debbage, K. 2013. Urban Form, air quality, and CO2 emissions in large U.S. metropolitan areas. The Professional Geographer. 65(4): 612-635.
Bereitschaft, B. 2008. Spatial-temporal distribution of tropospheric ozone in the Carolina Piedmont Megapolitan Area. North Carolina Geographer. 16: 49-59.
Earth and Environmental Science (GEOG 1030)
EES is a survey course in physical and environmental geography, designed to introduce students to the major natural systems of the Earth, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, and how people impact, and are impacted by, earth systems at local to global scales. Specific topics typically include weather and climate, atmospheric pollution, climate change, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism, river systems and hydrology, glaciers, and soils. A 3-4 hour field trip is included.
Field Trip Guide
Urban Geography (GEOG 4120)
The 21st century is an incredibly
exciting time to study cities. No other time in
human history have so many people lived in urban areas, nor have cities ever
been as dominant and well-connected as they are today. This course is designed to
serve as an introduction to the complex and dynamic urban system, including the
physical, economic, political, cultural, social, and environmental forces that
shape the form and function of cities, as well as how individuals and groups
experience urban life. Of particular concern in an increasingly urban world are
issues of urban sustainability and the role of cities in environmental, economic,
and social change at local to global scales. Therefore, a portion of this
course is devoted to understanding cities as a force of change, and how
development may be guided to produce healthier, more livable communities.
Student-led urban geography tours, May 2014
Field trip to North Omaha, April 2013
Biogeography (GEOG 4100)
Charles Darwin once described Biogeography as “that
grand subject, that almost keystone of the laws of creation.” As will become
apparent to you throughout this course, biogeography is not only the study of
how life is distributed about the Earth and why; it also provides an elegant
and robust framework within which we can understand and explain natural
phenomena in the areas of evolutionary biology, geology, sociology, and
anthropology. Indeed, as the authors of your textbook suggest, few patterns in
ecology, evolution, and conservation biology make sense without considering how
life varies across space. The goals of this course are to address the
fundamental biogeographic question of why organisms are found where they are,
as well as introduce you to a biogeographic way of thinking that I hope will
expand your understanding of, and appreciation for, the Earth’s incredibly
diverse and dynamic biosphere.