Finding justice in wild, novel ecosystems: A review through a multispecies lens

Pineda-Pinto, Melissa; Kennedy, Christopher; Collier, Marcus; Cooper, Clair; O’Donnell, Mairead; Nulty, Fiona; Castaneda, Natalia Rodriguez

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127902

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…'wild' public parks or private gardens), but also in urban spaces without human intentionality (Kowarik, 2011). The latter refers to a diversity of terms in the literature such as informal green spaces, vacant lots, wastelands, brownfields, interstitial sites and ambivalent landscapes [see Farahani & Maller (2019) and Pineda-Pinto et al (2023) for a semantic review]. These spaces vary considerably in terms of size (from small cracks to large areas) and soil type, and can develop on post-industrial, derelict, unattended and transportation-related sites (Kim, Miller & Nowak, 2018;Rupprecht & Byrne, 2014).…”

Section: Urban Wilding: Principles and Issues (1) Rewilding Principlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, ecological richness of such spaces provides opportunities to be more attentive to and observant of wildlife (Noe & Stolte, 2023;Rupprecht et al, 2015). Furthermore, mushrooms and the blossoms, leaves and fruits of wild plants and trees picked in urban spaces can be used for consumption, decoration or medicine as observed in various countries (Garekae & Shackleton, 2020;Landor-Yamagata, Kowarik & Fischer, 2018;Palliwoda, Kowarik & von der Lippe, 2017;Poe et al, 2014). Finally, one study in southern Sweden showed that unmaintained urban spaces increase play opportunities for children who use plant elements in their activities, such as collecting plant materials, climbing trees and building tree houses (Jansson, Sundevall & Wales, 2016).…”

Section: Attitudes and Relationships Of City Dwellers To Urban Wildnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The notion of urban wilding and its evocative power has the capacity to question human–non‐human relationships, and to debate new visions of future cities (Pineda‐Pinto et al ., 2023). Especially in the developed world, cities have historically been thought of as places built by and for humans.…”

Section: Urban Wilding In the Fabric Of Just Citiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These works highlight the interconnections between humans and other species in the city, and argue that non‐humans should be considered co‐constitutive actors participating in the governance of urban planning and design (Hernandez‐Santin et al ., 2023; Houston et al ., 2018). On this basis, some assert the need to recognise all forms of life, and to develop multi‐species justice, to guide the future of urban spaces (Fieuw, Foth & Caldwell, 2022; Pineda‐Pinto et al ., 2023).…”

Section: Urban Wilding In the Fabric Of Just Citiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wilding cities for biodiversity and people: a transdisciplinary framework

Bonthoux,

Chollet

2024

Biological Reviews

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Accelerating urbanisation and associated lifestyle changes result in loss of biodiversity and diminished wellbeing of people through fewer direct interactions and experiences with nature. In this review, we propose the notion of urban wilding (the promotion of autonomous ecological processes that are independent of historical land‐use conditions, with minimal direct human maintenance and planting interventions) and investigate its propensity to improve biodiversity and people–nature connections in cities. Through a large interdisciplinary synthesis, we explore the ecological mechanisms through which urban wilding can promote biodiversity in cities, investigate the attitudes and relations of city dwellers towards urban wild spaces, and discuss the integration of urban wilding into the fabric of cities and its governance. We show that favouring assembly spontaneity by reducing planting interventions, and functional spontaneity by limiting maintenance practices, can promote plant diversity and provide ecological resources for numerous organisms at habitat and city scales. These processes could reverse biotic homogenisation, but further studies are needed to understand the effects of wilding on invasive species and their consequences. From a socio‐ecological perspective, the attitudes of city dwellers towards spontaneous vegetation are modulated by successional stages, with grassland and woodland stages preferred, but dense shrubby vegetation stages disliked. Wild spaces can diversify physical interactions with nature, and enrich multi‐sensory, affective and cognitive experiences of nature in cities. However, some aspects of wild spaces can cause anxiety, feeling unsafe, and the perception of abandonment. These negative attitudes could be mitigated by subtle design and maintenance interventions. While nature has long been thought of as ornamental and instrumental in cities, urban wilding could help to develop relational and intrinsic values of nature in the fabric of cities. Wildness and its singular aesthetics should be combined with cultural norms, resident uses and urban functions to plan and design urban spatial configurations promoting human–non‐human cohabitation. For urban wilding to be socially just and adapted to the needs of residents, its implementation should be backed by inclusive governance opening up discussion forums to residents and urban workers. Scientists can support these changes by collaborating with urban actors to design and experiment with new wild spaces promoting biodiversity and wellbeing of people in cities.

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