Creating real habitats within a city park

Yesterday, day four on my visit to Tokyo, my partner and I took a break from the city’s well-organized, chaotic, architecturally impressive built-up areas and paid a visit to the Institute of Nature Study, which I believe is part of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Formerly the site of dignitaries’ residences, the 200,000-square-metre area has been naturalized since 1917, and the gardens of those palatial homes were returned to native plants.

We walked through roped-off paths through the park; most of the area is not accessible. It seems that the zone is truly left to its own devices because there is a rich understory of ferns, vines, and other rich flora. I admire this use of space — so often urban parks are really for people (and their dogs), and end up with a somewhat trampled feel.

Have you visited a wild urban park anywhere around the world?