Tiny urban parks provide Sydney residents with much-needed green space

In Sydney, tiny urban parks provide local residents with much-needed green space amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. These tiny inner-city parks are called “pocket parks” which are both great for the environment and the mental well-being of residents. The City of Sydney says there are approximately 400 parks of various sizes, from pocket to parklands, within its urban area. With dwellings encroaching more and more on nature, it can sometimes be hard for city residents to find a space where they can relax, have fun, or socialize outdoors. Pocket parks offer a solution to that issue. “Essentially the real value of pocket parks is that because they’re small, they can be distributed across an area of the city to give a public space to much greater proximity to many more people. So, you know, the activities that they cater to are, in some ways, very simple. But also very important when it comes to what the public domain is there for and that’s really socializing,” explains Mike Harris, a University of New South Wales Landscape Architecture and Urban Design lecturer. Historically, urban planners didn’t factor in space for such smaller parks but with locations for bigger green stretches both rare and costly, cities are now turning more and more to this solution. However, while pocket parks are important, urban areas still need larger green spaces like traditional parks. “Our cities are increasingly getting hotter and these larger tracts of green open spaces, are the things that are going to take that heat away from our cities. That can’t be done by just pocket parks,” says University of Sydney Urban and Regional Planning researcher Jennifer Kent.  But like larger parks, pocket parks can have environmental advantages too. Research shows that for urban communities to be connected and healthy, cities need to have at least 30 percent green open spaces. For local communities, the advantage of pocket parks is that they are easily accessible, and because they are literally down the street, enjoying them doesn’t necessitate any planning or a car trip which, incidentally, also helps with limiting the amount of carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere. Ultimately, experts agree that having access to a diversity of parks, big or small, contributes greatly to a happy and healthy society. This article was provided by The Associated Press.