Rethinking Urban Lawns: Rewilding and Other Nature-Based Alternatives

Urban Farm DB summary

Ongoing urbanization, biodiversity decline, and intensifying climate change are increasingly challenging the sustainability of urban green spaces dominated by conventional, intensively maintained lawns, which are criticized for their low biodiversity value and high resource demands. This paper explores nature-based solutions (NBS) as alternatives for enhancing the resilience and multifunctionality of urban lawns, conceptualizing lawns as intertwined ecological, design, and socio-cultural systems and evaluating strategies for their transformation. Drawing on case studies from ten Eurasian cities, a narrative literature review, and the authors' inter- and transdisciplinary research experience, it develops a typology of NBS alternatives including urban species-rich meadows, semi-natural grasslands, naturalistic herbaceous perennial plantings, mixed-vegetation groundcovers, edible lawns, pictorial (annual) meadows, and rewilded lawns, with key interventions including reduced mowing, multifunctional green spaces, adaptive management, and community engagement. The paper finds that these approaches can enhance biodiversity, ecosystem services, and climate resilience, but that their success depends on local ecological conditions, landscape design, and public perceptions of urban nature; it recommends using native, drought- and trampling-resistant plants with context-sensitive design that respects cultural traditions of urban greening and fosters social acceptance.