Wucheng county plants its roots in green urban space

With more and more overlooked and unused spaces transforming into lush, well-appointed "pocket parks" and themed parks, Wucheng county in Dezhou, Shandong province, is ramping up efforts to provide its locals with a greener, more accessible and convenient leisure lifestyle.

"The newly established park is close to my home and well-equipped for fitness, serving now as a perfect place for me to enjoy the beautiful nature and stay active. It's incredibly convenient," said local resident Zhang Zhenwu, expressing his delight at the convenience of the new parks.

In recent years, Wucheng has devoted significant efforts to transform itself into a "garden city", with the construction of high-standard city parks, pocket-sized green spaces and thematic parklands. Now, the county boasts over 20 of these green spaces, with the urban green coverage reaching an impressive 34 percent.

Besides quantity, Wucheng's approach to park development also emphasizes high quality and efficiency. Construction procedures such as land use approval, project initiation and bidding are processed with high efficiency. In addition, rigorous quality control is applied throughout the entire building process, encompassing areas such as soil standards, seedling specifications and planting requirements, to ensure high-standard quality with the local government's firm commitment to building parks that stand the test of time, said the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department of Shandong province.

What the county has striven to achieve now becomes true, the residents can revel in the picturesque vistas right outside their windows and embrace a life of urban park-induced bliss as they step out of their homes, said the local government.

"Before, the nearby green space was inaccessible and underutilized. The community had therefore, been looking for a nearby park and green leisure area for quite a long time," Zhang said.

As living standards rise, people's demand for a higher-quality urban living environments becomes increasingly evident. Wucheng, with remarkable acumen, has recognized this shift and elevated the development of parks and green spaces as a priority of public services. Today, parks have emerged as favored destinations for leisure and recreation among the county's residents.

Notable milestones include the completion of the Wenchang Lake Moon Festival Theme Park in 2018, the upgraded Beizhou Lake Park in 2019, the debut of Shun Lake Park in 2020 and the public opening of the Children's Beach Park in 2021, all of which are all located conveniently within easy reach of citizens.

Breaking away from conventional urban greenery management, Wucheng has embraced a holistic approach in the construction of its parks, transitioning from basic greening to a higher level of floral embellishment and recreational complex.

Diverse landscaping and tree varieties have been planted, alongside the installation of seating areas, and sports and leisure facilities. Amenities such as management offices, restrooms and proper illumination are also provided, effectively converting the once single-use green spaces into accessible recreational parks, significantly improving people's quality of life.

With all its efforts to increase greener urban areas, Wucheng has been conferred prestigious accolades, including the Provincial Civilized City and Provincial Garden City titles, and stands as one of the first nationally recognized hygienic counties.

lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn