Band 7+: Planting trees is very important for the environment. Some people says trees should be planted in the vacant areas of cities and towns, while other says housing facilities should be build instead. Do you agree or disagree ?

Vegetation is an essential component of any ecosystem. Therefore, there are those who consider that every free area in cities should be used for creating green zones, while others prioritize building accommodation facilities instead. In my opinion, to address both ever-increasing demand for homes and public green spots, available land in cities should be used in a new format that is both space-efficient and environmentally sustainable.

However important public parks are for the community’s well-being, their space-efficiency in settings of today’s densely populated cities is highly questionable. Undoubtedly, green spaces bring a lot of environmental benefits by mitigating pollutants. As such, parks are wildlife sanctuaries that are definitely worth taking up vacant urban areas. However, such publicly accessible green spots are extremely space-intensive facilities that require sufficient area which can be otherwise used for more pressing needs. For example, a square meter of land in densely-populated cities, for example, can either accommodate hundreds of dwellers living in a high-rise or just a few trees which are not likely to significantly contribute to the improvement of air quality.

A viable alternative to traditional massive parks can be vertical green neighborhood communities that can make cities a viable and sustainable habitat. To avoid urban sprawl and create a green environment, housing should be transferred into the compact format of high-rises that uses every opportunity to incorporate green areas into the urban milieu. For instance, vertical greening systems along with roof gardens may help to make effective use of otherwise unexploited building surfaces, which can comprise up to 10 square kilometers per a 100-story construction. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize such constructions when considering the use of vacant spaces in cities.

In conclusion, traditional spacious parks are losing their relevance in today’s highly populated cities, which aim at making maximum use of limited urban space. In such conditions, it is a sustainable architecture that can address not only the constantly growing demand for accommodation, but also the need for a habitable urban environment.