Green space needed more than ever
Having widespread access is vital for community equality, unity and health
I love nature. I love being outdoors. To quote a line from an old song: “I love the birds and the bees, the f
And right now, it is the best time of the year to appreciate the outdoors. Mother Nature is gifting us with the wonders of spring. When I walk through parks or trails, my senses are elevated. I see beautiful flowers and plants of all shapes and colours, and I smell their wonderful fragrances. I hear the different songs of birds and I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. Enjoying the region’s green spaces really energizes me and makes me feel good.
Research studies have shown the benefits of being in nature for our mental and physical well-being. In fact, some doctors in Canada and abroad have been prescribing a walk in nature rather than medication for some ailments.
The Region of Waterloo is blessed with an abundance of green spaces. They include parks, trails, forests, community gardens, baseball diamonds and soccer fields. I should also include school playgrounds and people’s yards.
Green spaces as we know them today are a relatively new social phenomenon, less than 200 years old. During the 19th century, with cities swelling due to the Industrial Revolution, there were a lot of health concerns and civic division. Green spaces were created in urban areas to provide the public with free places to walk, play and relax. And studies have shown the soothing and calming effect nature has on people.
Three factors determine which recreational green space is used and by whom: quantity of time, level of income and access to transportation.
For example, school and community playgrounds are often the closest and most used green space to new immigrants to Canada and low-income earners. Those citizens tend to live in highrises or residences that lack a personal green space, the backyard.
For newcomers and low-income earners, a day at the park, with the kids playing on the playground, is often the only form of family outdoor recreation they can afford.
With trails and forests, in most cases, you require transportation to get there. From my observation, the majority of the types of residences within a five-minute walking distance to the trails parallel to the Grand River are affluent homes.
With our cities growing and more people living in highrises, access to our trails and parks becomes that more important. Besides the physical and menmuch tal benefits of green spaces, they help to combat climate change. The green canopy above us and the green grass beneath us provide a layer of protection against g
After two years of restrictions, and with the pandemic under control, people are yearning to be outside and to enjoy themselves. Our green spaces are going to be used more than ever. We have to thank our local governments for maintaining them.
Having access for all to our green spaces is vital for community equality, unity and health. We have to make sure everyone has equal access to them, we have to preserve them for future generations, and after a long pandemic, let us go outside and enjoy them.