Usability of Green Areas around Islamabad

Ahsan Hameed
It is said that The measure of any great civilization is in its cities, and a measure of a citys greatness is to be found in the quality of its public spaces, its parks and its squares. According to me I will take up the example of a metropolitan city in America, where the same problem has aroused once that what should the city do to beautify and use the green areas around the blocks, they have made a group of members selected from a Muhallah, which are called the board of directors, and have out up the following suggestions regarding the value of green areas: Areas that are experiencing growth should put in place green space strategies to ensure that green assets are protected as development occurs. This is especially important in urban areas that have significant waterfront areas A well-designed, high-quality, connected public realm system can raise property values, enhance economic vitality and increase the tax base. In areas that lack high-quality amenities, public investment in parks should be co-ordinated to protect property values and to prime private investment The network of linked spaces with different characters and functions gives Minneapoliss public space a much greater value than the individual components A focused management body with an independent secure source of income allows for the long-term creation of high-quality green space systems. Further scientific benefits of the green places to the society has also been researched, some are stated as below: Access to nature promotes lower blood pressure, reduces stress and improves mental well-being Children develop balance and co-ordination faster when they have woodland rather than just playgrounds to play in Community gardens and city farms increase social inclusion A six-fold increase in high-quality public space in Copenhagen led to large increases in bicycle travel and in the use of public spaces A Merseyside study showed how the presence of trees and green spaces can make places pleasantly cooler in summer and reduce surface water run-off

 A study of urban gardens in Sheffield found almost as many plant species as the total number of species native to Britain Attractive green transport corridors reduce stress and encourage alternative means of transport. According to me the suggestion should be taken as we should create a main community center in the public green areas after beautification of them, for example we should convert the green places to proper parks and then establish a community center in it, this community center should be in liaison with the police and fire departments, and the security agencies, it should be the center of all the problems of the muhallah, if there is enough trust on the people, the community center should also contain the finance department which should collect some nominal fees from every home and should be contributed towards the welfare of the muhallah.