The Intension and Values of Urban Wildscapes

Abstract

The process of urban sprawl, restructure, and shrinkage provides the possibility for the formation and evolution of urban wildscapes. Physically, urban wildscapes refer to the urban spaces where the ecology is basically dominated by natural processes and similar to the natural wilderness in appearance and functions. The existence and persistence of wilderness fragments in cities often result from the reduction of human management and with minimal intervention on the nature. Due to the different interactions and confrontations between natural processes and social processes, the wildness of urban wildscapes varies. The unique and irreplaceable values of urban widlscapes in ecology, culture, aesthetics, economy, and well-being have gained multi-disciplinary attention and been widely recognized. This paper defines the concept of urban wildscapes, reviews the conceptual development of its connotation, and analyzes the multiple benefits of urban wildscapes on the basis of value recognition research. It hopes to provide a value recognition framework for empirical studies, helping urban residents, planning designers, and managers identify, appreciate, experience, and sustainably manage natural resources and urban ecological network, and providing scientific guidelines for ecological urban development.

Keywords

Wilderness / City / Urban Nature / Urban Wildscapes / Rewilding

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