Let’s talk wild! 12 perspectives on the power and paradox of wildness in expanding urban design

At first glance, urban design and wildness seem to form an oxymoron. Yet, as urban space and the tasks it needs to fulfill are evolving, wildness emerges as a dynamic urban resource of its own—in a material, as well as a cognitive manner. From urban gardening and cohabitation to revitalization and renaturation projects, wild spaces and practices seem to be springing up everywhere. Do these trends merely reflect a commodification of sustainability, or do they hold genuine transformative potential? If the latter, are we recognizing them as an invitation to change the way in which we perceive and shape our living environments? How does urban design approach the subject of wildness and its potentially innovative impact in the urban context? Do other disciplines witness similar trends that, likewise, demand new professional thinking and assessment? How can architects and urban designers critically engage with wild concepts and practices? Let’s Talk Wild! explores these questions by collecting 12 perspectives, drawing from various disciplines including art, anthropology, architecture, sociology, literature, and history. Rather than following a singular narrative, this publication weaves a polyphonic dialogue on chaos, creativity, and the paradoxical meanings of wildness, painting a picture that is as complex as the term itself. Through written and visual contributions, it challenges scholars of urban design to think beyond binaries and embrace the layered, dynamic systems that form urban life.