A local park is a familiar place for most people around the globe. Situated in most residential areas is a park where families and friends of all age groups can meet up and socialize, exercise, or do a bit of both. As children, we all remember when our parents took us to the local park where we played on park playground equipment such as swing sets, climbers, slides, obstacle courses, etc. Parks have always been popular and none more so than today.
With the recent pandemic effects, many facilities have been closed. Parks have remained a haven to experience fresh air, obey outdoor rules, and reduce the risk of infection – studies have shown that open-air transmission is deficient. Parks have also remained a location that affords friends and families to gather even in small numbers.
Diverse Lockdown Rules
The lockdown rules are different in various parts of the world. Most have allowed some form of outdoor exercise, and the free-to-use park has become a popular choice for many. Even if the playgrounds and courts are closed, the green space allows dog walkers, fitness fanatics, and families and friends to run, walk or jog around at least once a day.
The Downside
As parks get more activity, they become more crowded. Litter can become a problem and too much for the local government agencies to deal with. With nothing much to do, bored teenagers can often hang around at night, which can be intimidating for some people.
Local governments need to pay people to maintain parks and keep them attractive and safe to use, and often in these times of economic slowdown, the park can be seen as a place to cut from the budget.
Get Involved to Help Your Local Park.
Luckily there is a growing trend of social activity where people get together to help maintain their parks. People virtually meet via online groups and join cleanup sessions at the park to tidy up, do some gardening, pick up and dispose of litter. These groups will often advertise their activity, which demonstrates to the authority that the community cares about their park. It will also discourage budget cut decisions on a popular park location.
Local government officials always want to get re-elected; therefore, they can use the expenditure activity to promote themselves and acquire local votes during election periods.
Why not seek out cleanup groups through popular social media platforms to see if local groups get together to help keep your local park up to the expected standards? Having a nicely kept, safe, and clean local park can help raise the value of properties in the area, reduce local crime, and is a vital part of making your locality somewhere you and other people will want to live.
Also, keeping park playground equipment tidy and appealing for kids will always keep them coming back for more entertainment.
