THE GATHERING 2026: Transforming The Wilds from a no-gone zone to a top rated park
The Wilds was a neglected public park notorious for violent crime until artist James Delaney revived it with his signature colourful animal sculptures. Now it’s the top-rated park in Johannesburg.
The Gathering 2026 highlighted the remarkable transformation of Johannesburg’s The Wilds public park, which was once a notorious crime hotspot and a place to be avoided. Artist James Delaney, a Johannesburg painter and sculptor, took on the challenge of revitalizing the neglected park, turning it into one of the city’s most celebrated green spaces.
For over two decades, The Wilds was not only a no-go zone for Johannesburg residents but also a dense forest feared as a hotbed of crime. The 16-hectare park, situated between Houghton and Killarney, had been abandoned due to its association with violent crimes, poor maintenance, and low foot traffic. The long, twisting paths, overgrown foliage, broken park benches, and broken fountains contributed to the sense of danger and decay.
In 2017, Delaney, who had stumbled upon the park while living in a Killarney flat, decided to take action. He began clearing the paths and cutting the foliage, gradually reviving the park with the help of a team of volunteers that eventually swelled to thousands. Delaney’s vision was to breathe life into the space by installing colorful animal sculptures and mosaics, which attracted visitors and provided landmarks for navigating the park’s intricate pathways.
Today, The Wilds stands as a top-rated park in Johannesburg, attracting thousands of visitors annually, including women, children, religious groups, and nature enthusiasts. The park’s transformation has also been rewarded with accolades, as Delaney’s sculptures have won awards from Business Arts South Africa and the South African Institute of Architects. In his spare time, Delaney tends to his garden and continues to create public artworks in his Victoria Yards studio.
For individuals interested in initiating similar community revitalization efforts, Delaney advises a simple yet meaningful approach: "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."
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