Where is wild in Glasgow's Southside? A test of the applicability of relative wildness mapping to suburban Scotland

Abstract

Urban wildness refers to natural ecosystems within built-up areas that are subject to minimal human interference. It can provide huge social benefits and contribute to more liveable towns and cities. It can provide places for active recreation, aesthetic enjoyment, and interactions with nature that are otherwise unavailable in urban environments. It can improve health and wellbeing by encouraging physical activity and allowing psychological restoration. And it can provide children with opportunities for unstructured play, letting them imagine a world not ordered by adults.
Focused on the societal benefits, the aim of this study was to test the applicability of relative wildness mapping (RWM) to suburban Scotland with an attempt to identify where is wild in Glasgow’s Southside, a large sprawling area south of the River Clyde with a landscape that is very much suburban. RWM adopts a spatial definition of wildness based on the wilderness continuum, a scale of environmental modification from paved to pristine that allows wildness to be understood as relative and defined using continuous geographical variables. This study used variables measuring naturalness, untouchedness, remoteness, and ruggedness.
The results lead to the conclusion RWM is capable of pinpointing wildness within a suburban landscape and mapping variations of wildness across a suburban landscape. The relative wildness map distinguished six locations containing a sizeable area of high relative wildness within Glasgow’s Southside: Bull Wood, North Wood, Big Wood, Dams to Darnley Local Nature Reserve and the Waulkmill Glen Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Cart and Kittoch Valleys Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the northwest corner of Pollok Golf Course. A survey of the locations revealed they are mainly dense native woodland, are generally subject to minimal land management, score highly for ecological wildness and greenness, and, between them, provide the three elements of a psychologically oriented definition of wilderness (direct contact with nature, periods of solitude, and inherent physical challenges). And a comparative analysis to determine the urban habitat type composition of the wildest and least wild areas revealed the wildest areas are dominated by woodland, almost entirely unpaved, and made up of a relatively small amount of artificial vegetation, while the least wild areas are more or less exclusively a combination of paved land, vacant lots/fringe vegetation, and artificial vegetation.
The study also revealed Glasgow Southside's wildest areas are well protected. 99.9% of the wildest 1%, 98.2% of the wildest 5%, and 96.6% of the wildest 10% is covered by at least one designation and therefore under some form of special protection.

Popular Abstract

Urban wildness is natural land within built-up areas that is mostly unaffected by humans. It can provide enormous social benefits and contribute to more liveable towns and cities. It can improve health and wellbeing by providing space for exercise and for unwinding from the stresses of everyday life.
This study aimed to identify urban wildness in Glasgow’s Southside. It used an existing method called relative wildness mapping (RWM). RWM uses a geographical definition of wildness based on the wilderness continuum, a scale of environmental modification from paved to pristine that allows wildness to be understood as relative and defined using continuous geographical variables that identify the wildest and least wild locations and everything in between. This study used variables measuring naturalness, absence of human influence, remoteness, and ruggedness. RWM has traditionally focused on natural landscapes. This study tested whether it could be effectively applied to suburban Scotland.
The analysis revealed RWM is capable of pinpointing wildness within a suburban landscape and mapping variations of wildness across a suburban landscape. The relative wildness map identified six locations containing a large area of wildness. They are Bull Wood, North Wood, Big Wood, Dams to Darnley Local Nature Reserve and the Waulkmill Glen Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Cart and Kittoch Valleys Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the northwest corner of Pollok Golf Course. A survey of the locations revealed they are mainly dense native woodland, are generally subject to minimal land management, and, between them, provide the three elements of a psychological definition of wilderness (direct contact with nature, periods of solitude, and inherent physical challenges). And an analysis to determine the urban habitat type composition of the wildest and least wild areas revealed the wildest areas are dominated by woodland, almost entirely unpaved, and made up of a relatively small amount of artificial vegetation, while the least wild areas are more or less exclusively a combination of paved land, vacant lots/fringe vegetation, and artificial vegetation.
People living in towns and cities, particularly young people, are opting to spend less time experiencing nature. Meanwhile, urban wildness is decreasing in built-up areas as they become increasingly built up. The relative wildness map visualises areas of wildness. It can be used to increase awareness and valuation of these areas. The results can be used to inform planning policy, ensure protections, and orientate locals towards nature by highlighting the area’s remaining wildness.

• author: Stewart, Paul
• supervisor: Per-Ola Olsson
• organization: Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
• course: GISM01 20251
• year: 2025
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
• keywords: Geography, GIS, Urban wildness, Relative wildness mapping, Suburban Scotland
• publication/series: Master Thesis in Geographic Information Science
• report number: 195
• language: English
• id: 9210116
• date added to LUP: 2025-08-19 09:00:08
• date last changed: 2025-08-19 09:00:08