The Rewilding Approach in Urban Design. The Case Study of Budolfi Plads in the Historic Centre of Aalborg (DK)

Dwelling on Earth responsibly means guaranteeing global environmental well-being, within which the habitable environment for human beings must find a new homeostasis. At the turn of the second and third millennium, tackling environmental degradation and halting the continued loss of biodiversity became a global policy goal. In this context, new approaches to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration are emerging, such as rewilding, an approach that aims to strengthen the adaptive capacity of ecosystems by restoring natural processes and minimizing human management. The article analyses urban rewilding as a design approach aimed at restoring natural processes and reintroducing nature on an urban scale, evaluating its advantages and positive effects in terms of improving health, supporting biodiversity and contributing to the fight against climate change. The aim of the research is to explore how urban design can use urban rewilding methods and techniques for the regeneration of cities. The article describes the transformation project of Budolfi Plads, the central square of the historic centre of Aalborg (DK), as an example of urban design adopting the rewilding approach. The project involved the transformation of a dreary parking area into a central place with mixed urban functions. By attributing a predominant role to greenery, the project represents an innovative turning point for urban design in a historic urban context.