Let’s go to parks and “have fun” amidst green spaces in spring! On April 15, it was learned from the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Hubei Province that there were 302 green spaces with an area of about 543 hectares opened up for the public welfare in urban parks of the province, including 56 hectares in Jingzhou.

Public green spaces include unoccupied areas of relatively flat land in green spaces of urban parks, lawn areas and the understory available for recreational activities. Since March, there have been pilot efforts to open up green spaces for sharing in urban parks across cities above the prefecture level in Hubei Province. From site selection and configuration, supporting facilities, maintenance and management, tourist services to emergency management mechanisms, guidance has been produced to maximally cater to the needs and expectations of common citizens for close contacts with nature, recreation, and physical activities.

Camping and picnics have become a trendy unwinding option for citizens. According to the requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Hubei Province, the area for tenting, which should be less than half of the lawn area, should be delineated for the first array of spaces for sharing. The number of tents should also be properly limited, and highly visible signs should be set up at the area for tenting and regularly relocated to prevent trampling. Moreover, it is encouraged to entrust third-party agencies to provide camping management services in accordance with required procedures.

Relevant person of the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Hubei Province who was responsible for this matter said that opening green spaces to the public in urban parks can better leverage their ecological values to optimize the living environment and enhance resilience of cities and ensure benefits from ecological development for people. In the future, cities (prefectures) will continue to gradually open more spaces for the public, and steadily launched lawns and understory spaces for public leisure purpose when permittable for citizens and tourists.