Media ecology takes an urban turn.

This article examines the contributions of foundational media ecology scholars—such as Marshall McLuhan, Jacques Ellul, Lewis Mumford, and Walter Benjamin—to the study of urban communication, highlighting the intersection of media, technology, and human settlements. It outlines McLuhan's view of cities as extensions of human senses shaped by electronic media and networks, Ellul's theological critique of the city as a technological creation alienated from God, Innis's analysis of communication media influencing urban development, Benjamin's exploration of modernity and memory in urban spaces, and Mumford's emphasis on social institutions and democratic urban planning. The article underscores that the city as a media environment is a longstanding but often overlooked concept within media ecology, with these thinkers providing diverse frameworks for understanding the role of communication and technology in shaping urban life.