Nature's Reclamation

In the total absence of humanity, nature would begin reclaiming cities within mere years, with ecological succession unfolding in predictable yet strikingly rapid stages.

Without maintenance, drainage systems would clog, leading to standing water and the establishment of algae, reeds, and mosquitoes.

Pioneer plants such as grasses and dandelions would colonize cracks in asphalt and concrete within 2–5 years, followed by shrubs and opportunistic trees like birch, willow, and ailanthus whose roots accelerate structural decay.

Within 20–50 years, roofs and walls would collapse under moisture and root pressure, creating microhabitats for birds, rodents, and insects.

Urban predators such as foxes, raccoons, and eventually larger mammals would recolonize the landscape as traffic and light pollution vanish.

Over centuries, soil would rebuild from decomposed organic matter, reestablishing a functional ecosystem similar to pre-urban forest or wetland conditions.

Metals would corrode, plastics photodegrade, and concrete crumble, leaving only the most durable glass and stone fragments as remnants—gradually buried beneath layers of vegetation and sediment as the biosphere erases humanity’s architectural footprint.