THE GATHERING 2026: Transforming The Wilds from a no-gone zone to a top rated park

For two decades, The Wilds was widely considered a no-go zone for Johannesburg residents. The 16-hectare park sandwiched between Houghton and Killarney was abandoned by citizens after it was connected to a string of violent crimes.

The low foot traffic and poor maintenance turned the park, which is controlled by the City, into a dense forest feared as a crime hotspot.

That was until 2017, when Johannesburg painter and sculptor James Delaney decided to revive it.

“I discovered this wonderland and there was nobody in it,” Delaney told the audience at Daily Maverick’s flagship annual event, The Gathering, at Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday, 11 September.

Revitalising the public space

Delaney discovered the park 15 years ago after he moved into a Killarney flat that overlooked it. Friends warned him to stay away, and so he opted to take his golden retriever on walks further away. But curiosity and the desire for a more convenient place to walk his dog drove him to get a spare key to the park.

The park, which opened to the public in 1938 and was declared a national monument in 1981, had long fallen into disrepair. The long twisting paths, overgrown foliage, broken park benches, fountains and paths added to the sense of danger. But Delaney saw an opportunity.

“This is Joburg. You don’t expect to find a forest like that. There were indigenous plants, stone pathways, and incredible habitat,” he explained.

He began clearing the paths, cutting foliage and reviving the park with a team of volunteers that eventually numbered in the thousands. But convincing residents to give The Wilds another chance became a challenge.

That’s when he came up with the idea to build colourful animal sculptures around the park to make it more appealing. Other artists installed mosaics. Today, there are more than 100 sculptures and 80 mosaics across the space.

“These artworks breathe life into the space. They brought colour and I also realised they became navigation,” Delaney explained. Visitors use them as landmarks while navigating the park’s twisting pathways.

Today, the once-neglected park is the top rated open space in the city, attracting thousands of visitors every year, including women, children, religious groups and nature enthusiasts. Humans aren’t the only visitors, either. Delaney said he had spotted golden-tailed woodpeckers and giant kingfishers, bird species that aren’t typically seen in dense urban areas.

Award-winning public artworks

Delaney’s sculptures in The Wilds have won awards from Business Arts South Africa and the South African Institute of Architects. When he’s not working on his sculptures, charcoal, paint and print works in his studio in Victoria Yards, he spends an hour or two gardening in the park.

For those looking to engage in similar civic action to revitalise their communities, Delaney offers this practical advice:

“My advice always is if you want to get involved just do one thing. Plant a few seeds, cuttings, arrange a few stones, just do one thing that will give you joy and give the community around you great joy too,” he said. DM