Episode produced by Maia Mortimer, Victoria Mushka, and Annika Wong

In this episode of Sync into the Earth, we discuss the concept of “wild cities” and what it means for the future of conservation. As urban sprawl continues to cover our Earth, we need to start thinking about how we can incorporate conservation into cities rather than treating it as a separate issue. Wild cities, an idea based on “rewilding”, aim to redesign urban infrastructure to support coexistence with nature. We delve into numerous studies as we try to answer the question, “What’s so great about wild cities?”. We discuss wild cities’ importance for both human and environmental health. We talk about the major challenges that come with creating wild cities, and how they can be addressed. To help us dive deeper into this topic, we speak with Usman Haque, a renowned architect and artist whose work incorporates the natural environment, urban technology, and human interaction. Haque talks about strategies to incorporate nature into the city through his experience working as the creative director of Re: Wild Royal Docks, where he seeks to connect people and nature (like with talking trees!).

References:

Carver et al(2021). Guiding principles for rewilding. Conservation Biology, 35(6), 1882–1893.

Fischer et al (2018). ‘Wild’ in the city context: Do relative wild areas offer opportunities for urban biodiversity? Landscape and Urban Planning, 170, 256–265.

Olive, A. (2014). Urban awareness and attitudes toward conservation: A first look at Canada’s cities. Applied Geography (Sevenoaks), 54, 160–168.

Zhou & Rana (2012). Social benefits of urban green space: A conceptual framework of valuation and accessibility measurements. Management of Environmental Quality, 23(2), 173–189.