The design process includes six iterative phases: a pre-contract phase in which a request for proposals (RFP) is developed; a contract phase in which the scope of the project is defined in detail; an evaluation and analysis of the site; development of the design itself, including production of all necessary construction documents; the construction itself; and a post-construction, occupancy phase when the client assumes control of the completed project. Urban ecologists studying ecological patterns and processes in built environments already are working in the post-occupancy phase, so getting involved in earlier stages of the design process could add a significant additional dimension to their research (Felson 2013a).