Housing crisis is a common problem faced by many major cities around the world, due to a shortage of land for new residental buildings. Some governments propose to repurpose existing parks for future housing project as a solution. However, I do not agree that this is viable solution due to the dangers it poses to local wildlife and humans, and the health issues that may arise from the removal of vegetation in parks.
Repurposing park lands may put local wildlife at risk. Park lands often function as the sole habitat of local wildlife, and convert a park land into a suitable building site very likely means the removal of all existing flora in the area. Existing species may be displaced and unable to migrate to a new area or adapt to the drastic change of their original habitat. As a result, wild animals may either die out, or roam too close to the human population and put residents in danger. There are incidents in Hong Kong where wild boars attack locals in urban areas, due to the shrinkage of their habitat.
The convertion of park land to residental buildings may also bring negative health impact to the human population. Many major cities have very little natural area due to urban development, and these parks are likely to function as the only recreational area where the population can get in touch with the nature. Removing these park lands not only take away the very few space for the locals to exercise, but also worsen any existing pollution problems that the city may already have. Beijing, the capital city of China are at constant risk of sand storm and smog problems from high pollution, as a direct result of its urban development and removal of green area.
In conclusion, I do not agree that repurposing parks for future housing project is not a viable solution, due to the risk it brings to local wildlife and the health impacts it may bring to the locals.