Toward Wild Designing: Past, Present, and Future Meanings of Design in Ecological Restoration

Ecological restoration, the practice of intervening in ecosystems to address environmental harms and degradation, offers hope for livable futures. Institutional restoration projects are typically conceptualized as scientific endeavors. Yet, Western scientific framings for restoration often leave out that which is relational, subjective, and human in this work—considerations that are just as important as biophysical attributes. Framing restoration as not only a scientific intervention but also a design activity can address this gap. In this article, I review historical and contemporary understandings of design in the context of ecological restoration. Restoration often uses a mechanistic approach to design, yet new postures for restoration design are emerging. By confronting nature–human dualisms, a relational design framing for restoration offers hope that our futures will be livable and just for all.