Authorities worldwide are facing a biodiversity crisis and are calling for ambitious plans to address nature recovery. However, these plans must balance competing priorities such as job creation, affordable housing, energy, and food production. Often missing from these discussions are the voices of community members directly affected by these issues.
In Oxford, there is significant pressure on green spaces due to economic growth and housing demand. This situation is compounded by social inequality, with local residents feeling excluded from university-owned green areas. To address this, a Citizens’ Jury was organized in Oxford to give communities a more active role in shaping the city’s natural environment.
The Citizens’ Jury process involves diverse individuals learning about societal issues, engaging in structured discussions, and developing recommendations collectively. Inspired by the People’s Assembly for Nature held in 2021 across Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the Oxford Citizens’ Jury focused on local environmental challenges.
Over four days in February 2025, participants engaged with experts and shared experiences to create a vision for Oxford's environmental future: “Oxford and its surroundings will be an accessible city for all, with protected green spaces, clean rivers, and rich biodiversity... These efforts will be led by diverse and inclusive custodians and supported by strong policies.”
One key recommendation was appointing an advocate or representative for nature at City Council meetings or planning forums. This idea aligns with global movements like “Rights of Nature,” advocating legal representation for natural entities.
The workshop discussions resulted in eight priority actions for Oxford. Recommendations included equitable access to nature through redirected funding and school visits; improved water management through quality monitoring; river restoration initiatives; and integrating nature into urban environments via wildlife corridors.
Participants appreciated the open discussion environment provided by the Citizens’ Jury process. For many residents, it was their first opportunity to voice opinions in local decision-making processes.
Melissa Felipe Cadillo emphasized that universities play a crucial role in facilitating such deliberative processes due to their position between formal knowledge and lived experience. The next step is promoting these community-generated recommendations as evidence for real projects and policies.
Oxford’s Citizens’ Jury on People & Nature was led by Melissa Felipe Cadillo and Guillemette Gandon from the Biodiversity & Society Programme at ICCS with support from Involve Foundation. Funding came from the Agile Initiative and Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery.