Would you walk here? Urban wildscapes as visual settings for utility and recreational walks

Walking is a primary physical activity that connects city inhabitants with nature, contributing to the development of healthy and sustainable cities. While green walking environments are typically associated with manicured urban parks and street greenery, other potential settings include urban wildscapes. Urban wildscapes are visually ‘natural’ or even ‘wild’ green spaces, shaped primarily by nature, characterised by spontaneous vegetation and minimal human intervention. These areas typically feature unmaintained greenery with high biodiversity, contributing to the reconnection of fragmented urban habitats. They are closely tied to the concept of wildness, referring to the extent of spontaneous vegetation growth and biodiversity enhancement. This study explores whether city inhabitants are willing to walk through urban wildscapes and the factors influencing this willingness. Our novelty lies in demonstrating how ‘wild’ green spaces can be integrated into urban landscapes to promote walkability. We move beyond the green spaces traditionally associated with city walking activities and focus on how urban wildscapes – characterised by unmaintained, overgrown or spontaneous greenery – can support or limit city inhabitants' willingness to walk. We surveyed 524 residents of Warsaw, Poland, assessing their willingness to walk through eighteen urban wildscapes for both utility and recreational purposes. City inhabitants preferred scattered greenery and grasslands for utility walks, while dense greenery and forests were favoured for recreational walks. A broader acceptance of walking through urban wildscapes could reduce the costs of maintaining urban green spaces and provide ecological benefits by preserving these areas in their ‘wild’ state. These findings contribute to discussions on social-ecological connectivity and the need to consider ‘nature of the fourth kind’ when planning green corridors that address societal and environmental needs.