Keep on the grass

File under: urbanism, Wellington

Recently, I've come across some comments about a lack of green space in the inner city. I've never noticed such a lack, but that's because personally, if I want somewhere in the city to chill out, I'm more likely to do so in a café or on a bench in Cuba Mall. But I acknowledge that some people like to stretch out on the grass on a sunny day, so I asked the question: if you're in the central city, how far would you have to walk to find a public green space where you can lie down? So I put together this little map (if you click on it, it'll be a bit more legible):

The brightest green areas are the green spaces; these are surrounded by concentric rings at distances of 50m, 100m, and up to 300m from the greenery. Grey areas are more than 300m from the nearest piece of public grass. I've included new green spaces that are planned for Kumutoto and Waitangi Park on the waterfront, and I've also included Kensington Gardens, as although there's little hope of saving it from the 'bypass', there are other spaces planned in the vicinity.

What does this show? Far from being devoid of greenery, central Wellington is peppered with small green spaces. One area is lacking - southeast Te Aro (from Tory St to Cambridge Tce) and southern Mt Victoria - so I hope that the council is able to find a site here for a new public space. Otherwise, one is never more than 300m (about a 3-5 minute walk, depending upon street layout, terrain and traffic) from some green space.

My definition of "green space" is fairly strict: it has to actually be grass, rather than a planter with trees and flowers (so Cuba Mall, despite being a very pleasant public space, is out); and it can't be surrounded by busy roads (eliminating the traffic island between Kent and Cambridge Terraces). If you want a more substantial lawn, there's always Frank Kitts and Waitangi Parks, and the CBD is surrounded by a wide variety of public greenery and open spaces, from rose gardens and playing fields to sandy beaches and pine forests. In fact, according to the Big Cities Quality of Life report, Wellington City has 19.8ha of council-run green space for every 1000 people: more than any of the other eight largest cities in the country.

So, is there still cause for concern? It could be argued that as more people come to live in the central city, they will need more green space. Though I suspect that most people who choose an inner-city lifestyle would rather be shopping or drinking than sitting on a lawn (based upon a sample of one), it would indeed be wise to plan some new public spaces in southeast Te Aro, where many new apartments are being built. But perhaps we need to separate the two words in the cliché "green space" by recognising that the city itself can be full of greenery, and that hard surfaces (streets and squares) are often much more practical forms of public urban space.