Urban Wildering: Bringing the Wild Back to Jakarta with GAIA and WildJak

Gaia, Amid rapid urban development and the continuous rise of city populations, the world is increasingly searching for new ways to create healthier, more resilient, and nature-friendly cities. One global movement gaining significant attention is urban wildering—an ecological restoration approach that brings back true “wildness,” not merely ornamental greenery, into the heart of cities. In Jakarta, GAIA Indonesia and the community WildJak are emerging as key players in this important global shift.

What Is Urban Wildering?

Urban wildering (or urban rewilding) refers to efforts to revive natural ecosystems within dense urban environments. Unlike conventional city parks, urban wildering emphasises:

• Restoring native flora and fauna
• Reviving natural habitats, rather than planting decorative trees
• Allowing green areas to grow in more ecological, less manicured ways
• Providing space for wildlife such as birds, bees, frogs, and butterflies
• Linking fragmented green spaces through ecological corridors

The movement aims to build a city that is cooler, healthier, more wildlife-friendly, and more climate-resilient. Just as importantly, it helps restore the human–nature connection that is increasingly lost in modern metropolitan life.

Countries That Have Successfully Implemented Urban Wildering

Urban wildering is not merely a theoretical concept—it has been successfully practised in various cities around the world. Here are some of the most well-known examples:

1. Singapore: From Garden City to City in a Garden

Before:
Urban rivers were lined with concrete, city forests were fragmented, and green spaces were largely ornamental.

Wildering Initiatives:

• Major revitalisation projects such as Bishan–Ang Mo Kio Park, where a concrete canal was transformed into a naturalised river surrounded by native vegetation.
• Restoration of wetlands, swamp forests, and green belts.
• Large-scale planting of native species to attract birds, dragonflies, and small mammals.

Results:

• Significant biodiversity growth within a few years.
• Natural river systems that help reduce flood risk.
• Cooler, more breathable city environments.

Singapore is now considered one of Asia’s most successful models of urban wildering.

2. Amsterdam, Netherlands: A City of Wild Rooftops and Canals

Before:
Fragmented green spaces, sterile canal edges, and declining biodiversity.

Wildering Initiatives:

• Thousands of green rooftops planted with native species.
• Rewilded canal edges with natural vegetation to support fish and waterbirds.
• Development of green corridors connecting key parks and public spaces.

Results:

• A drastic increase in bees, birds, and butterflies.
• Canals transformed into thriving ecological zones.
• A more climate-adaptive city with better flood resilience.

3. New York, USA – The Iconic High Line and Urban Wild Spaces

Before:
An abandoned elevated railway, neglected and unused.

Wildering Initiatives:

• The High Line converted into an elevated park retaining many naturally growing “wild” plants.
• Use of native species to attract pollinators.

Results:

• A functional habitat for urban birds and insects.
• One of the world’s most influential urban nature restoration projects.

4. Detroit, USA: An Industrial City Reclaimed by Nature

Before:
Post-industrial decline left large expanses of empty, barren land.

Wildering Initiatives:

• Local groups planting hundreds of thousands of trees.
• Transforming vacant lots into natural green areas and wildlife habitats.

Results:

• A once-barren city now home to new ecological zones and renewed biodiversity.