Rewilding the built environment: a resilient response to different crises

Society continues to face many crises, from climate change and air pollution to the pandemic, with associated consequences to human health and well-being. The built environment plays an important role in both mitigating and adapting to these impacts and in safe-guarding citizens. The presence and access to green spaces in the built environment plays a fundamental role in citizen’s ability to cope with adversity of different kinds and scale.
This paper aims to 1.) synthesise knowledge about the diverse role that green space, and by extension the rewilding of our built environment, play as part of a resilient society and built environment and 2.) the specific conditions and characteristics of green spaces and the built environments to maximise its benefits, while avoiding unintended consequences.
This is done through a literature review to present existing knowledge about the role of green space in a resilient built environment and society, followed by a critical case study review that identifies and illustrates the conditions and characteristics of green spaces as resilient solutions. Findings highlight a diversity of green spaces in type (e.g. ecological corridors), scale (e.g. community gardens, green roofs and walls), and location (e.g. parks, forests) and that they can support social inclusivity, community resilience and wellbeing. However, green spaces need to be designed in such a way that 1.) they are accessible and 2.) appealing for citizens to protect and appreciate them.