Yichang opens 47 ‘pocket parks,’ more to come
2022-10-24 20:10:40
Yichang has built 47 “pocket parks” and small green spaces across the city so far this year.
Yichang’s pocket parks are small parks accessible to the general public for free. They function as small event spaces, play areas for children, spaces for relaxing or meeting friends, spots to take a lunch break, and much more. The parks make use of small lots of vacant land across the city, mainly serving the people that live in its immediate vicinity.
Melody Garden (pictured here) is a typical pocket park, equipped with pavilions, wooden benches, public restrooms, 76 parking spots, and a wide variety of plant species. The plants, such as beech, hackberry trees, and semperflorens, help the park stay green year-round.
"There are a lot of parks in Yichang, but they are far from my home. After Melody Garden was finished, we can take walks after dinner and our children have a place to play after class," said Dun Chang, a resident of a nearby community.
Li Xianjun, director of the Yichang Urban Landscaping Construction Management and Protection Center（宜昌市城市园林绿化建设管护中心）, said that Yichang will continue to transform and repurpose urban corner plots. More pocket parks will be completed and open to the public later this year.
China aims to build more green areas in its cities so that all urban residents can have a green space within 300 meters of their home and a pocket park within 500 meters. According to data from this past August, the country has already built nearly 30,000 such spaces.
Yichang’s pocket parks are small parks accessible to the general public for free. They function as small event spaces, play areas for children, spaces for relaxing or meeting friends, spots to take a lunch break, and much more. The parks make use of small lots of vacant land across the city, mainly serving the people that live in its immediate vicinity.
Melody Garden (pictured here) is a typical pocket park, equipped with pavilions, wooden benches, public restrooms, 76 parking spots, and a wide variety of plant species. The plants, such as beech, hackberry trees, and semperflorens, help the park stay green year-round.
"There are a lot of parks in Yichang, but they are far from my home. After Melody Garden was finished, we can take walks after dinner and our children have a place to play after class," said Dun Chang, a resident of a nearby community.
Li Xianjun, director of the Yichang Urban Landscaping Construction Management and Protection Center（宜昌市城市园林绿化建设管护中心）, said that Yichang will continue to transform and repurpose urban corner plots. More pocket parks will be completed and open to the public later this year.
China aims to build more green areas in its cities so that all urban residents can have a green space within 300 meters of their home and a pocket park within 500 meters. According to data from this past August, the country has already built nearly 30,000 such spaces.
Photo by Liu Kun
