The Importance of Relative Wildness in an Urban Landscape: A Case Study of Discovery Park

While there is a growing body of evidence in support of the importance of nature for human health and well-being, the effects of interacting with relatively wild forms of nature – compared to more “urban” forms – are not as well understood. In this May 2020 talk, Elizabeth Lev discussed the specific importance of maintaining “relatively wild” nature in an urban landscape, drawing on research that characterized meaningful forms of human-nature interaction at Discovery Park. She also explores how maintaining relatively wild urban parks can play an important role both in challenging a domination worldview and in reversing the trend of environmental generational amnesia.

Speaker

Elizabeth Lev, MS, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington
As a member of the Human Interaction with Nature and Technological Systems (HINTS) Lab, Elizabeth worked under the direction of Dr. Peter Kahn to develop an “interaction pattern approach” as a way to characterize and communicate the importance of human-nature interaction. Elizabeth hopes her research will be used both to inform policy decisions surrounding the management and development of our natural landscape and to advance more equitable access to relatively wild areas. She recently co-authored Relatively Wild Urban Parks Can Promote Human Resilience and Flourishing: A Case Study of Discovery Park, Seattle, Washington.