Review: ‘Wild City’ By Jon Davies and Steve Williams

The garden has evolved: what was once a hobby is now “punk horticulture.” And after reading this new book, springing from a collaboration between an artist and a rocker who share a love of revitalizing natural cityscapes, you will never think of urban gardening the same way.

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The authors of Wild City are the names behind UK-based Wild City urban landscape design studio, and have many years of experience in transforming abandoned spaces in cities into destinations ranging from biodiversity conservancies to indoor food forests. Sometimes, their projects are developed for paid clients; other times, they are direct action initiatives that have more in common with 1960s style protest gardens. These pages tell many stories of how they created natural spaces from urban wasteland spots, or how they supported communities seeking a new life for a vacant lot.

The book is anything but linear, and is apparently meant to be leafed through at random rather than read from beginning to end. There is no obvious narrative structure, and every page contains a photo, an artwork, or a comic strip, with or without text, all in different designs. The contents may be a single motto, an interview, or a case study of a particular project. In some interviews, the text is even arranged in such a way that it is not immediately clear which questions go with which answers. More a collage or a carefully-curated scrapbook than an instructional volume, this collection of photos, artwork, clippings, aphorisms, essays, case studies and practical urban conservation tips will be best enjoyed as a hard copy. 

One crucial point is that the authors do not solely advocate rewilding: in many cases, rather, they invite us to stand back and observe derelict land for what it is. “Wasted landscapes are beautiful,” states a slogan typewritten across the top of a double-page spread that shows a stark photo of a crumbling parking lot in front of an abandoned building. However, the book does offer many specific instructions for the would-be punk horticulturalist, such as how to use crushed site waste as a substrate for planting.

A key feature of the book is its collection of interviews with other urban gardeners, who come from a variety of backgrounds. These include planting design experts, skateboarders, and grass rooftop installers. Others focus on growing food in urban environments, challenging our traditional notions of what makes a farm – in fact, the term “food forest” is used as often as “garden” in this sense.

There is also a strong connection in their work with graffiti or other forms of street art. Many pages of the book are devoted to photos of large-scale outdoor murals, artists’ spraypainted tags, or other urban art. Likewise, several charming inserts come in the form of black and white comic strips, starring the authors as subjects.

Beneath the apparent disorder of these wild gardens, however, lies a profound knowledge of plants, soil, and conservation practices. While the authors and their interviewees are ready to commune with nature and celebrate “something mystical” about mushrooms, they also know an enormous amount about individual species of mycorrhizal fungi.

What comes through most strongly at the end is not the plants or the crumbling concrete they occupy, but the people: these city-dwelling nature lovers are passionate about their disruptive, plant-based art, and eager to share with the world.

Wild City
Jon Davies and Steve Williams
2026, Duncan Baird Publishers, 292pp

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