Parks

My name‿ is‿ Oscar. I use the park near my flat‿ every day,│ and‿ I have become‿ interested‿ in how it‿ is run:│ who pays for‿ it,│ who decides what happens‿ in‿ it,│ an(d) who is quietly excluded from‿ it.

The park‿ is maintained by the city^ci-dy council,│ an(d) for the las(t) five years‿ its budget has been cut. The grass‿ is mown less‿ often,│ two of the four toilets‿ are closed,│ an(d) the litter problem that used to^usta be seasonal‿ is now permanent. Local volunteers do what they can,│ but volunteering‿ is not‿ a substitute for funding,│ and‿ I dislike the way public services‿ are quietly transferred to residents│ who have the time.

There‿ is‿ a proposal to privatise part‿ of the park│ an(d) turn‿ it‿ into a paying garden,│ which some councillors‿ argue would bring‿ in money for the rest‿ of the maintenance. It would probably work,│ and‿ it would‿ also create‿ a space that‿ is technically public but‿ effectively reserved for those│ who can pay. Green space should be accessible to everybody,│ not‿ only to those│ who can‿ affor(d) the entrance. It‿ is‿ also the cheapest‿ investment‿ in public well-being‿ a city^ci-dy can make:│ a park costs less than‿ a hospital‿ an(d) prevents people from needing one.