Rewilding: Associate Professor wins Global School of Sustainability Fund for new research
Dr Audrey Alejandro, Associate Professor of Qualitative Text Analysis in the Department of Methodology, has been awarded the Global School of Sustainability Grant for her project: "Rewilding the City: Collaborative Governance and Local Action in Islington, London".
Eighty-four percent of the UK population lives in cities. For urban residents to experience the value of wildlife, understand the urgency of biodiversity loss, and counter feelings of climate disempowerment, local action that enables wildlife recovery and strengthens community engagement is essential.
Audrey's research takes Islington as a case study, where rewilding is particularly challenging.
Audrey says:
"Islington is the most densely populated borough in the UK, containing only 12% green space, and is among the boroughs most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. At the same time, relationships between local authorities and community groups illustrate a wide range of council-led and community-driven rewilding initiatives across streets and public open spaces.
"Rewilding — a nature recovery approach that has gained significant momentum in the UK over the last two decades — has traditionally been associated with rural landscapes. Yet in recent years, local authorities and community-led initiatives have increasingly explored its potential in urban environments, seeking to enhance climate resilience, biodiversity, and public wellbeing.
"However, most discussions of urban rewilding remain centred on its ecological and technical dimensions, such as habitat design, species translocation, and biodiversity monitoring. Comparatively little attention has been paid to the governance structures that determine what forms of rewilding are possible, or how these systems can be navigated and mobilised to support urban nature recovery.
"Understanding the multi-level governance systems within which rewilding takes place — and how these can be mobilised — is crucial for local actors leading bottom-up initiatives that connect biodiversity action with civic engagement. These frameworks establish the rights, rules, and responsibilities underpinning environmental policy, regulate land use, allocate resources, and shape the possibilities and limits of collective action.
"Exploring how councils and community groups understand and engage with these systems reveals the social and political dimensions of urban rewilding, including both the opportunities available to local actors and the constraints they face."
The project's research team consists of Audrey Alejandro, Imogen Hamilton Jones, Siân Moxon (London Metropolitan School), and Flora Cornish. It will be delivered in partnership with Islington Council, and Young Wilders.
Read more about Audrey and her research on our People pages and her research website.