Oxford Nature Conversations: Launching the Citizens’ Jury Report

How can we make Oxford a city where people and nature thrive together?

This ambitious question guided the Oxford Nature Conversations Citizens’ Jury, a deliberative democracy initiative that brought together a group of Oxford residents to co-develop a shared vision and set of actionable recommendations for the future of the city’s environment. Over two weekends in February 2025, participants engaged with expert speakers, deliberated on key environmental and social issues, and developed a series of 8 recommendations that aim to embed community voices and place-based knowledge at the heart of urban environmental planning.

The process was co-designed and facilitated with the Involve Foundation, a leading organisation in public participation, and was supported by supported by the Agile Initiative, the Nature-based Solutions Initiative, the Oxford Martin School, the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, and the Department of Biology.

The Citizens’ Jury Report was launched at a public event in July 2025, and presents the outcomes of this unique process and opens new conversations about the future of Oxford. The report can be read on the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery’s website.

The Citizens’ Jury

The Jury formed part of the Oxford Nature Conversations project. Fifteen residents were selected to reflect a broad cross-section of Oxford’s population. Over four half-day sessions, they engaged with evidence from academic researchers, policy experts, and local environmental organisations. They discussed a wide range of topics, including biodiversity loss, water quality, environmental justice, urban design, and access to nature, all in response to the core question:

How can we make Oxford a city where people and nature thrive together?

The discussions culminated in a co-created vision for Oxford’s future and 8 actionable recommendations for different stakeholders in the city. Jurors imagined a city that is inclusive, interconnected, and ecologically rich, with protected green and blue spaces that are accessible to all and managed through collaborative and transparent governance.

Why This Matters

Oxford’s environmental future is shaped by both its natural heritage and its complex urban dynamics. The city boasts significant biodiversity and green infrastructure, yet faces increasing pressures from development, climate change, social inequalities, and fragmented access to natural spaces. While technical expertise is vital, this project affirms that community-led insight is equally indispensable for building a resilient and just urban future.

By centring lived experience and collective learning, the Citizens’ Jury demonstrates how participatory approaches can foster trust, creativity, and shared responsibility. It offers a model for how cities might navigate the dual crises of climate and biodiversity loss, while addressing local priorities and needs.

The Citizen’s Jury Final Report

The report captures a collective vision for a more inclusive and ecologically resilient Oxford, grounded in the experiences and aspirations of its residents. Key elements include:

• A collective vision statement describing what citizens envision for Oxford
• 8 practical recommendations addressing local governance, built environment, green spaces and inclusion, and water quality.
• Reflections on the process of public deliberation

Together, these outcomes highlight the importance of public participation in urban environmental planning and the need to bring local knowledge into conversation with technical and policy expertise.

Read the report here