Rewilding in Landscape Architecture

Assessing the potential for more wildlife to be introduced into the urban ecosystem in the UK. 2022 - 2023

Dissertation

Urban rewilding represents the concept of human-modified ecosystems to be embraced in the local city setting. It promotes expansion and co-evolution, developing as a general environmental restoration definition. Yet the core of rewilding is to support all native species and ecological processes (Pettorelli, et al., 2019).

Today, rewilding is gaining momentum as people have begun to understand natural value. Recently, there was a requirement for an increase in 10% net biodiversity gain in England’s Environmental Act (Landscape Institute, 2022). And yet, in the past 20 years, green spaces near new developments in England and Wales has shrunk by 40% (Findlay, 2022). This demonstrates the failure to balance contrasting needs of the urban and natural realm. Rewilding and the design process creates potential for positive interactions, to change the current relationship between human-wildlife from dominance to coexistence by merging cultural and recreational values.

The aims of this dissertation are to assess the opportunities and constraints of rewilding potential in UK cities using case study methodology. This will aid in the understanding of landscape architecture’s role in rewilding by presenting the possibilities of environmental design or rewilding integration for a more cohesive urban ecosystem, adding emphasis on landscape planning and design.

Urban Rewilding, International Design Workshop

This workshop gave an opportunity to experiment with my dissertation research. With the theme of “Moderate Rewilding”, my group was tasked to strike a balance between human and nature. This involved embracing what existing and developing on it for more biodiversity.