Urban landscapes are diverse spatial mosaics that represent a variety of soil conditions. Natural sources of spatial heterogeneity in ecosystems underlie the effects of land-use and land-cover change; however, humans introduce an additional source of heterogeneity by altering landforms and drainage patterns, constructing structures, introducing nonnative plant and animal species, and modifying natural disturbance regimes. In this presentation I will discuss the characteristics of soils in urban landscapes and address the question what soil properties spatially differentiate urban soils and make them different from natural forming soils. I will also discuss the implications for mapping, classifying, and interpreting urban soils.