The emergence of ‘rewilding’ in the Anthropocene has given rise to considerable and animated dialogue among planners, ecologists, landowners, and especially within urban and rural communities. However, while the topic has generated a lot of heat, there much less light has been shed on the subject, especially contested ideas such as novel ecosystems, urban rewilding, and reconnecting people with wild nature. In the meantime, the global travel and movement restrictions as a response to COVID have risen to an increased in awareness of nature, especially nature close to where people live and work. In essence, society has reacquainted itself with the wild species on its doorstep. This session is aimed at exploring rewilding in an urban context. Hosted by the NovelEco Project (
www.noveleco.eu) this session will discuss the geographies of rewilding and discuss perceptions of wild spaces or novel ecosystems in towns and cities. It will be a combination of short, thought-provoking presentations followed by a roundtable workshop with attendees encouraged to explore what rewilding means ecologically, socially, personally, and culturally.
