In collaboration with The Wildlife Trust, JTP conceived an alternative, nature-led vision for the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Arc. We call this vision 100 Miles Wilder; a bigger, better and joined up landscape at a macro-national scale.

This vision we believe will ultimately lead to a more prosperous economy and sustainable growth in which people and nature can thrive alongside each other. Together with The Wildlife Trusts, JTP produced a vision map which demonstrates a new way of thinking about how places should be planned – with nature and people’s wellbeing at the centre.

100 Miles Wilder protects natural and ecological assets, making the Oxford-Cambridge Arc a greener, wilder, and ecologically rich environment. The wilder nature network introduces blue and green infrastructure, alongside extensive sustainable modes of movement including pedestrian, cycle and boating connections. Wildlife connectivity has also been considered with nature corridors at a macro scale being strengthened to unite habitats and facilitate nature recovery. This approach allows for the most valuable habitats to be protected, increase natural capital through connecting and enhancing ecological networks, and improve everyone’s access to nature. Coupled with a strategic environmental assessment and a sustainable travel index, this could inform the best places to build new communities and towns – an ambition and priority of the Labour government’s New Towns Taskforce.

The benefits offered by public green spaces provide a compelling narrative and evidence base for increasing investment in wildlife and nature. Whilst the map and vision focus on the Oxford-Cambridge area, these principles and design ideas of 100 Miles Wilder can and should be utilised more widely on new places and neighbourhoods across the UK, simultaneously helping nature and planning for people.

The question is not whether we should build, but how we establish a framework that nurtures environmental stewardship and ecological enrichment alongside development. The answer lies in our willingness to think wilder. By embracing a future where growth and nature coexist, we can create not just new towns, but a new paradigm for sustainable living – one where prosperity is measured not only in economic terms, but in the richness of the landscapes we restore and the communities we empower.

For further details on the 100 Miles Wilder concept, please head to this link.