Pocket parks buffer city stress

New landmarks

The first pocket park in Shanghai was launched in September 2015. After the demolition of a 100-m-long wall beside a well-known hotel, a 4,400-sq-m garden opened to the public at the intersection of Donghu Road and Middle Huaihai Road.

As of last year, the city had built or upgraded 310 pocket parks with a total area of 1.12 million sq m, according to the municipal landscaping and city appearance administrative bureau. Shanghai plans to have 1,000 pocket parks by 2025.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said nearly 30,000 pocket parks have been constructed or renovated to meet requirements that residents "should be able to see green coverage within 300 meters and a garden every 500 meters".

In Liaocheng, Shandong province, neighborhood parks themed on magpies, gourds, paper-cuts and other local features have become new landmarks.

A pocket park in Gurong Lane, Quanzhou, Fujian province, features traditional Minnan architecture.

In June, a themed pocket park was completed in Weichang Manchu and Mongolian autonomous county, Chengde, Hebei province, home to Saihanba National Forest Park, China's largest man-made woodland. Residents and visitors learn how the first generation of foresters worked at the Saihanba Machinery Forest Farm.

Liu Jun, director of the Hebei urban landscaping service center, said, "In addition to their practical functions, we hope that pocket parks can showcase some of a city's historical and humanistic characteristics."

To date, 1,049 pocket parks have been built in the province, according to the Hebei Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Liu said the construction of mini parks in Hebei is dominated by government investment and supplemented by social capital, adding, "By introducing more social forces, we are jointly building a pleasant living environment."

This year, Xingtai, Zhangjiakou, Dingzhou and other cities in Hebei have encouraged public units, enterprises, social organizations and individuals to take part in the construction of pocket parks in order to expand funding channels and reduce pressure on government funds.

Cities are also exploring more sustainable management and maintenance modes for pocket parks. In Jize county, Handan, local residents are helping maintain five pocket parks, while 11 such parks are cared for by local public institutions.

The first thing that Li Shuangtian, a voluntary keeper at a mini park near his home in Jize, does when he arrives at the park in the morning is check whether garbage needs clearing, or if any equipment has to be reported for repairs. Then he starts his exercises.

"As long as we devote enough time and energy to them, pocket parks can play a long-term role in better serving residents," Liu said.

Song Ping contributed to this story.