What is special about urban nature that it constitutes a separate strand of research on its own? How is it different from other natures? With these questions as their starting point, this sub-theme considers the seemingly oxymoronic idea of ‘urban nature’ as microcosm for natures everywhere, all of them being techno/social natures, and hence, being typical rather than unique. Urban natures are also key to unraveling the interconnected processes of environmental, economic and social change that underpin contemporary processes of urbanisation across the world. They draw attention to more-than-human life not only in the form of resources like water and energy that form the basis for the functioning of cities, but also less obvious natures like insects, fish and urban animals.
Within this sub-theme, Niranjana’s research in Chennai in South India considers the diversity of human and non-human life around the city’s myriad waterways including marshes, estuaries and deteriorating mangroves to piece together the story of the city. Archie Davies’ research examines the ways in which non-human urbanites including crabs function as anti-colonial figures in Recife, and the incorporation of sardines into state and tourism-led gentrification in Lisbon. Finally, Gemma Harvey, Alex Henshaw, Will Monteith and Regan Koch have developed a project which examines the social and ecological impacts of rewilding initiatives in Walthamstow, London.