Research project 2024-2026 : Cities Go Wild – Critical Perspectives on Urban Rewilding

Among the numerous methods to develop the diverse functions of urban greenspaces, urban rewilding has gained traction in recent years. This approach entails a deliberate process aimed at diminishing human influence on the urban ecosystem with the goal of creating spaces that lie between managed urban greenspaces and unmanaged greenery. While the issue of rewilding is a prominent topic among social scientists, there is a need for research within the urban context, which is comparatively scarce in contrast to studies undertaken in rural settings. 

My research at LAND focuses on investigating how urban rewilding can be integrated into land-use planning to contribute to the development of more livable cities. In adopting a political ecology perspective, my approach entails examining urban rewilding as a landscape development concept that not only marks physical spaces for nature, but also shapes ideas about nature and society in profound ways, which are often overlooked by planners themselves. My work revolves around three work packages, which respectively address the different visions of the landscape embodied by the concept of urban rewilding, the socio-economic conflicts surrounding urban marginal green spaces and the involvement of local groups and individuals into rewilding through participatory approaches.