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Miyawaki forests-in-the-making: Enlivening values of human–nature care and gathering through the cultivation of Miyawaki forests
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Miyawaki forests-in-the-making: Enlivening values of human–nature care and gathering through the cultivation of Miyawaki forests

Sarah Barns, Scott Hawken, Grey Coupland and Kazuo Asahiro
Environment and planning. D, Society & space
2025
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Miyawaki forests7.91 MBDownloadView
CC BY-NC V4.0 Open Access

Abstract

Urban forestry environmental stewardship citizen science healthy placemaking multispecies cities
In recent years growing numbers of fast-growing ‘mini forests’ have been planted around the world using an approach for rapid urban greening known as the ‘Miyawaki method’. Originating in Japan, the Miyawaki method was first developed as a relatively novel ecological engineering approach to the afforestation of industrial and degraded landscapes. However, in recent years escalating climate impacts and loss of biodiversity has inspired a new generation of Miyawaki forest practitioners working globally in diverse ecological contexts. In this paper, we discuss the Miyawaki forest movement's evolution, and discuss its introduction into Australia through the lens of three Australian-based practitioners. Connecting Australian practitioners with the work of global practitioner networks, we explore the methods, practices and collaborations involved in the making of Miyawaki forests, before turning to how their value is being captured. We draw from a multi-species cities perspective to explore the multi-dimensional values and benefits of Miyawaki forests, which span both human and more-than-human ‘well-beings’ as sites of human–nature gathering, but also requiring collaboration across ecological, cultural and social spheres in order to be sustained over time.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#13 Climate Action
#15 Life on Land

Source: InCites

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Citation topics
6 Social Sciences
6.269 Political Philosophy
6.269.1833 Anthropocene
Web Of Science research areas
Environmental Studies
Geography
ESI research areas
Social Sciences, general
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