This book includes a variety of case studies addressing the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems at locations ranging from Brazil to Southern California to New York. Of special interest is a group of of five papers resulting from an interdisciplinary comparative study of urbanization in Boston, MA, Birmingham, AL, and Salt Lake City, UT. These papers address regional variations in study design and responses of habitat, benthic algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish to urban development.