City Park: An urban oasis full of greenery
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On January 9, Damian Holmes, founder and editor-in-chief of World Landscape Architecture (WLA), posted his judgment on landscape design trends for 2024 on the website. He said that climate change is a long-term issue in the future, and landscape design will play an important role in reducing carbon emissions, assisting in the formulation of guidelines and policies, and creating measurement tools. In March 2022, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Building a Higher Level of Public Service System for National Fitness", which clearly pointed out that it is necessary to promote the construction of sports parks and promote the free opening of sports parks to the public. The introduction of this policy provides a strong policy guarantee for the development of urban parks, so that more citizens can enjoy the benefits brought by parks.
The concept of urban parks can be traced back to ancient civilizations, such as the hanging gardens of Babylon and the public gardens of ancient Greece, which were both places of recreation and symbols of power and wealth. With the passage of time, especially after the Industrial Revolution, urbanization has accelerated, and the need for the natural environment of urban dwellers has become more and more urgent. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the new bourgeoisie confiscated the property of feudal lords and royalty, and opened various palaces and private gardens to the public, collectively known as public parks. The second is the public space of the community or village town, especially the open grass in front of the church. Urban parks in the modern sense originated in the United States, and were put forward by Frederick Law Olmsted, the founder of American landscape architecture. He designed New York's Central Park (1858-1876) with Calvert Vaux more than a decade earlier. After entering the 20th century, the construction of urban parks entered a new stage, focusing not only on greenery and landscape, but also incorporating more sports, entertainment and cultural elements.
Urban parks are divided into general parks, community parks, and amusement parks. The larger the city scale, the higher the coverage rate of urban parks, and the higher the proportion of areas with a total per capita park area of more than 5 square meters in the built-up area of the city, indicating that the basic supply of urban parks and the per capita security of parks are higher.
Urban parks play a vital role in the urban ecosystem. Not only do they provide valuable green space for cities, but they also significantly improve urban air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen, and filtering harmful substances from the air. At the same time, the vegetation in the park can reduce the urban heat island effect in summer and effectively cool down. Transpiration of trees and vegetation carries away heat and significantly reduces the temperature of the surrounding environment. In addition, green spaces and water bodies in parks can absorb and store rainwater, reducing the risk of urban flooding and alleviating urban water stress.
Taking the Beijing Olympic Park as an example, scholars such as Zhang Biao and Xie Gaodi observed and analyzed the effects of different greening types and configuration patterns on the microclimate regulation function. The results showed that the average daily temperature of park green space was 0.48-1.12°C during the high temperature period in summer, and the influence of park green space on humidity was significantly higher than that of temperature and comfort.
In areas where sand is frequent, urban parks can also play a role in preventing wind and fixing sand. The trees and shrubs in the park form a natural barrier, slowing down the wind and reducing sand and dust ingress. This not only protects the environmental quality of the city, but also improves the living conditions of the residents. Especially in the northern cities of China, urban parks have become an important ecological barrier for wind prevention and sand fixation, providing a solid guarantee for local ecological security.
Urban parks also play an important role in promoting biodiversity. The abundant vegetation and diverse ecological environment in the park provide habitats for various animals and plants, and promote the conservation and development of biodiversity. Birds, insects, small mammals, and more thrive in the park, allowing people in the city to get up close and personal with and observe the abundant natural life. In the park, humans and animals can live in harmony and share urban space. This not only helps to protect endangered species, but also enhances the public's understanding and care for the natural ecosystem, and enhances the ecological awareness of the whole society. The city park has become an ecological oasis in the city, making an important contribution to the maintenance of biodiversity and the realization of ecological balance.
Urban parks, as an important component of urban green ecosystems, have multiple functions and important values. They not only improve the ecological environment of cities, provide various ecological services such as wind and sand prevention, cooling and noise reduction, but also become an indispensable part of citizens' lives with their beautiful landscapes, rich entertainment facilities, and profound cultural connotations. With the strong support of the government, the construction and development of urban parks have achieved significant results, creating green urban oases for citizens, allowing them to enjoy a moment of tranquility and natural beauty in the busy urban life. Whether it's lush trees, colorful flowers, or peaceful and beautiful lakes and streams, every corner of the park showcases the charm of nature. The carefully designed garden landscape, winding paths, and intricately arranged buildings make the park an ideal place for citizens to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Parks are not only the "green lungs" of a city, but also the "green scenery" of the city. They are like natural paintings, decorating every corner of the city.
