Suzhou, famous for its ancient canals, has opened 20 new parks in the past year. The average Chinese city now rivals New York in publicly accessible green space per person. Chinese cities have very few lawns, because China’s municipal zoning rules generally prohibit and most single-family homes. Zhong Yueling, 10, lives in a clump of high-rises near Suzhou Creek. She now goes for a walk almost every afternoon to skip rope at a new playground next to the creek.

Source: New York Times June 01, 2021 09:01 UTC