[deleted] t1_je23ug6 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:15 PM

#2,428,463

[removed]

Skatingraccoon t1_je24edn wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:19 PM

#2,428,563

Better mental health. People tend to feel better when they can connect a little bit in and with nature.
Better physical health.
Helps reduce the urban heat island effect. Turns out concrete and asphalt and all that is really good at putting out heat during the day which means a city will be hotter than the grassy hills outside the city only because of development. Parks can help bring that down a little bit.
Can help with water management.

[deleted] t1_je24l7t wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:20 PM

#2,428,604

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wjbc t1_je25q89 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:27 PM

#2,428,794

Parks raise the economic value the neighborhood. Both homeowners and businesses like to be near a thriving park. Fees for recreational activities and an increased tax base easily cover the costs of building and maintaining parks. Even in very urban areas, developers can often be persuaded to build parks in return for permits, and it's a win-win, since the park improves the value of the development.

Parks improve water and air quality, protect groundwater, and prevent flooding. They provide buffers to development. They provide a place for recreation and exercise and reconnecting with nature for children and adults alike -- and often for pets, too. Organized adult-supervised activities at parks keep children and teens out of trouble, reducing juvenile delinquency and crime.

jaxxop t1_je2863z wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:44 PM

#2,429,225

Apart from other answers it also really helps with protecting the biodiversity that cities slaughters. So birds, insects and whatnot can have someplace to live in between all the concrete.

bpjon t1_je286ew wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:44 PM

#2,429,227

Quieter, cooler, better air quality, better mental health, more birds and bugs, I'm sure there are more.

jelder t1_je28mre wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:47 PM

#2,429,291

Because if you don’t build parks, people will be so desperate for greenery that they will trample all over the cemeteries. True story, this is what actually happened before city parks.

PeteyMax t1_je28shq wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:48 PM

#2,429,319

Study after study has been done showing the benefits of green space on mental health. Just from experience, I can tell you my blood pressure goes down about 20 points when I go walking in a quiet, empty forest.

edit: Did you know that the number one risk factor for schizophrenia is urban living?

PeteyMax t1_je299lw wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:51 PM

#2,429,396

Replying to jaxxop (#2,429,225)

I lived in Toronto for a total of about 1 year, 2/3 of that time near the ravines. One time my friend took to the museum of natural history, where we could view stuffed animals, live insects, and small mammals neurotically pacing back and forth inside glass cages. Pretty awful considering just hiking in the ravines I saw foxes, coyotes, otters, a great horned owl, and many other forms of wildlife, all in their natural habitat.