Pocket parks rejuvenate communities in Pingdu

Covering an area of 100 hectares, the 2020 Park in Pingdu, a county-level city under the administration of Qingdao, Shandong province, has become a popular destination for local residents to unwind.

During the summer, as the number of visitors grew, the park was swarmed with tourists and vendors. But how to better manage the vendors became a concern of urban management officials.

"They are here to meet the demands of visitors. But on the other hand, they have caused some problems to the order of the park. Just driving them away is not a practical solution," said Liu Qunjie, deputy director of the city's coordinated administration and law enforcement bureau.

As a result, city authorities have marked out a special area for stalls along the park's roads, which not only offers convenience to visitors but assists urban management.

The move attracted more vendors to the park. In the evenings or on weekends, the 2020 Park turns into a large night market with nearly 100 stalls selling all sorts of goods.

"I used to set up my booths in different places every day. But now with the fixed stall, I can earn up to 200 yuan ($27.5) a day," said Chen Juan who sells small crafts in the park.

The 2020 Park also stages a musical show on weekends to entertain visitors.

Zhao Jie, a local resident, said he has become accustomed to walking in the park at night, watching performances and buying some products along the way. "It made me feel relaxed and comfortable," Zhao said.

With its two major parks — the 2020 Park in the south and Xianhe Park in the north, Pingdu is building a park system which prioritizes people's needs and integrates multiple functions such as entertainment, culture and fitness.

The construction and development of city parks are considered key to improving people's living conditions and enhancing their sense of gain and happiness, local officials said.

"We hope that these parks can meet the needs of people of all ages, providing spaces for children to have fun, for the elderly to rest and for young people to walk and run," said Zhang Xiqiang, director of the Pingdu urban-rural development bureau.

So far, Pingdu has built 41 pocket parks across the city, enabling residents to do leisure activities in their neighborhoods.

Among them was a dilapidated mini-park in the Shengshui Shanzhuang community which underwent a transformation in March.

Zhang said they created eight different landscapes in the park based on natural beauty and local folk culture and paved a path connecting all the spots.

Meanwhile, the park added a basketball court, a 400-square-meter playground and some sports facilities.

"I am very happy to see the park given a new lease on life. It looks like a garden now," said a resident named Luo Shuangmei.

Pingdu launched a total of 27"park city" projects this year with a combined investment of 133 million yuan.

zhanglinwan@chinadaily.com.cn