Urban rewilding is a process of turning portions of an urban area into a place full of biodiverse life to preserve natural ecosystems and habitats. This idea has been a topic of much debate in regards to how helpful or important these types of programs are to the overall health of our planet. However, when looking at the data in places where these programs have already existed, there is no debate to be had. Rewilding initiatives are extremely worthwhile in urban areas as, not only do they help the environment, they also increase general happiness for urban communities and allow for more interaction with nature.

Rewilding initiatives can not only improve the environment where the initiatives cover, but also improve the environment as a whole. Studies have found that the use of rewilding initiatives can save up to 70% of species projected to go extinct without a considerable amount of land being changed. This can overall increase the biodiversity of our planet, which helps provide for a healthy ecosystem and better world. This biodiversity can also help provide for a multitude of resources for humans. Many of the animals we rely on are considered endangered and may be projected to go extinct in the near future. However, with these rewilding programs, those species have a better chance of surviving and providing a wider variety of resources for us. On top of this, rewilding programs have also shown to sequester a large amount of carbon from the atmosphere. This would do two important things. First of all, it would decrease the amount of carbon in our atmosphere, which is an extremely important step to slowing and stopping climate change. Second of all, it can greatly improve the general atmosphere of a community. More than 80% of urban areas have an amount of air pollution that surpass the safe air quality levels the WHO have laid out. Sequestering a large amount of carbon would significantly improve the air quality of these areas and allowing air pollution levels to lower to safer levels. On top of these benefits, rewilding is built to promote self-sustaining and resilient ecosystems that can be run with very little outside management. Therefore, rewilding initiative can greatly improve the general environmental quality of both our planet and the urban community investing in it while also requiring very little investment both when incorporating the initiatives as well as maintaining them.

Rewilding has increased the general happiness of urban communities. Studies have shown that in the United Kingdom, when over 20% of a neighborhood is covered in greenery, the population of that area halve in rates of depression and nearly halve the amount of stress people encounter. When over 30% of a neighborhood is covered, the rates of anxiety are more than halved. These statistics have undeniably shown that people who encounter more nature throughout their daily life feel calmer and happier. In fact, the government of the country has taken notice. In Leeds, a city in the United Kingdom, rewilding initiatives have already found their way into urban areas with the building of a park under Victorian train viaducts. Allowing people to interact with nature in their daily lives is a source of respite in one’s usually busy lives. Therefore, people would naturally be inclined to be calmer and less anxious the more of it they’re surrounded by. This increase in happiness can, in turn, improve society as a whole. With happier workers, people are more likely to be productive and work harder. With less stress, people can also work longer without feeling burnt out. This boost in productivity can improve the quality of life and appeal of a city or town, all from a simple rewilding program.

Rewilding is a topic not often brought up in terms of what could be done to slow or stop climate change, nor is it brought up when asking how one could improve a community. On top of that, they’re often thought of as inefficient and costly leading it to be seen as a waste of time. However, when looking at the data the effectiveness of rewilding is clear to see. Rewilding programs and initiatives are extremely worthwhile for urban areas to invest time and money in as they not only help the environment in the community and for the whole planet, but also improve the general happiness, and therefore productivity, of the people in that community.