Don't take our slice of greenery away: Poll

Forty people interviewed by ST say they want the green areas retained; the fresh air and greenery of these spaces, they say, add to quality of life

By Neo Hui Min and Theresa Tan

DO NOT take away the parks, said park users and non-park users alike.

The Straits Times interviewed 40 people and found that all of them wanted to keep the parks, even though some of them had not stepped into one for years.

Housewife Tan Ah Geok, 39, lives close to a neighbourhood pocket park but has never used it.

'It is refreshing to see a patch of green there. I may not visit it now but, maybe one day, I will.

'It is always nice to know that the parks are there when you need them,' she said.

Madam Agnes Tan, 47, an administrative officer, chose to live near a park because she enjoys gazing at the greenery.

Break free from the hustle and bustle of city life and be at peace with nature. Park users can do that at the Fort Canning Park (right), where lush greenery and big palm trees provide cool shelter. Meanwhile, some other parks provide a haven for families -- and their pets. Over at Bishan park (left), the top draw is the dog run. It attracts dog owners and their pets from all parts of the island.

'Just looking out the window and seeing so much green is already a form of therapy for city folks like us, who have to face so much stress in our work daily,' she said.

According to the National Parks Board, the most popular park is East Coast Park, which attratsabout seven million visitors a year.

In contrast, Labrador Park attracts just 254,000 people a year.

Parks, with their fresh air and green environment, add to the quality of life, said salesman Chan Yong Hoo.

'People need to breathe fresh air. If they are cooped up at home, how can we get healthy citizens?' he asked.

Housewife Vivian Chen, 40, said parks are the only places where children can go to run about and get their minds off schoolwork.

'If kids don't even have parks to come downstairs to, they will be cooped up in their flats. And their parents will make them stay home more often to study,' said the mother of three.

She tries to take her children to Bishan Park at least once a week.

Parks are just as essential for the elderly.

Retiree James Pereira, 76, goes to the park twice a day. 'We need these places to walk around, to exercise a bit,' he said.

He disagreed with the view of some people that public parks are under-used.

'It really depends on what time of the day it is.

'Come to the park in the morning or evening and you'll see that it is extremely well-used,' he said.