Urban Wilding for Systems Transformation: Co-Designing Sustainable City Habitats

This is a recording of a compelling research talk by Mairéad O'Donnell, a Fulbright-EPA scholar from the School of Natural Sciences, hosted by E3. The session delves into her PhD research on Urban Wilding for Systems Transformation, exploring how we can fundamentally reimagine cities as shared habitats for both human and non-human species.

Mairéad argues that achieving resilient urban ecosystems requires more than just science; it demands genuine collaboration and social engagement. She presents findings from her research on co-design, which involved participatory workshops held across Ireland, Australia, and the USA.

The presentation covers three key areas:

The Theoretical Shift: Mairéad explains the crucial distinction between traditional rewilding and the new, socially-engaged urban wilding approach, which treats ecosystems as social-ecological entities. She details the need for a multispecies perspective, viewing non-human life not as resources but as "kinfolk."

Defining Co-Design: She presents a robust, comprehensive definition of co-design, established through a systematic literature review, and explains the critical process of knowledge weaving—integrating scientific, local, and historical understandings without compromising their integrity.

The Practical Methodology: Mairéad shares the innovative, hands-on methodology used in her workshops, including the Wild Walk (Noticing), Multispecies Role-Playing, and Future Storytelling. These methods are designed to foster transformational learning and align social values with ecological outcomes.

The video concludes with a vital Q&A session, addressing the practical challenges of implementation: providing concrete advice on kickstarting a community-led urban wilding project (stressing the importance of team-building and local support) and tackling the critical issues of cost and time when embedding participatory processes within public administration and policy. The discussion highlights how these initiatives can be strategically linked with wider goals, such as the Circular Economy, to secure funding and broad success.

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