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More free parks for residents, more colorful plants for the landscape
and more meadows for better air quality. Those are the Shanghai
Gardening Administration Bureau's priorities for this year as it
continues to push the greening of Shanghai.
If bureau officials reach their goals, per capita green space could
reach 5.2 square meters by year's end, up from last year's 4.6 square
meters.
"Shanghainese should thank all gardening workers for their
efforts in past years," said Vice Mayor Han Zheng. "But
the fact can't be ignored that the city is still below China's standard
of 6 square meters of green space per capita."
Bureau officials have promised that 23 percent of public lands will
be covered by trees, flowers and meadows by the end of this year.
City government wants the level to reach 30 percent by the end of
2005, which would mean per capita green space would reach 7 square
meters.
"In 2005, anyone in Shanghai who wants to appreciate green
space will only have to step out of his or her home and walk no
more than 500 meters," predicted the bureau spokesman Xiao
Qianghua.
Bureau officials said their major projects for this year will be
adding green belts along downtown's Yan'an and Huashan roads and
the Xujiahui commercial area, and planting an additional 40,000
large trees from 100 species not found here.
Xiao said city workers now will no longer limit a tree's height
by pruning because overhead wires and cables have been removed and
placed underground.
"Shanghai's beautification is just like a relay race,"
said Vice Mayor Han. "Grasping the baton this year, we should
use high technology and develop the landscape along the Huangpu
River and Suzhou Creek."
Last year, the city added 828 hectares of new greenery with flower
beds, lawns and trees to downtown public lands.
In addition, the walls - with a total length of 34 kilometers -
along hotels, universities and companies have been knocked down
to share their green space with passersby and to beautify Shanghai,
which now has 122 parks, Xiao said.
(Eastday.com 01/26/2001)
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