Throwing good shade – Parks and People
Will a park change your life? The science says “Yes”.
But you already knew that. What you might not know is the complex layers of goodness that your local park brings to the party.
Climate Control
Firstly, parks can create micro-climates that make life much more comfortable. They are an antidote to the urban heat island effect that afflicts many cities and suburbs. Studies show that urban trees can bring land temperatures down by as much as 5-6 degrees Celsius on a scorching day.
“Lungs of the City”
They also filter out pollutants and release oxygen into the air, benefiting our respiratory health. They have even been called the lungs of the city. At the same time, urban trees can hold up to 40% of the rainfall that lands on them, reducing storm-water run-off.
Pandemic Priorities
Green spaces really took centre stage in our lives with the outbreak of Covid-19. “The pandemic has proven that parks are essential infrastructure,” Adrian Benepe, former Parks Commissioner for the City of New York, told The Lincoln Institute.
“Parks and green space soothe and console us, relax and restore us, reduce our anxiety, depression, and stress,” commented Professor Emeritus Dr Howard Frumkin. “In this and in future pandemics, we’ll want to combine physical distancing and other infection-control measures with universal access to parks and green space to help everyone get through hard times as safely as possible.”
Park Proximity
Ellerson Property’s first two development projects have taken Park Proximity to the max to promote physical and mental wellness for apartment residents.
The Laneways, located in the inner Sydney suburb of Rosebery, is just 50 steps from Sweetacres Park on Mentmore Avenue. The 5000sqm dog park has delights for both human and fur babies, picnic fans and serious trainers.
Observatory Place, located in Parramatta’s CBD, celebrates its strategic location with the message of “Park. Meet City”. The 23-storey apartment development blurs the lines between home and nature, sitting right on Jubilee Park. Residents on lower floors enjoy the privacy and sheltered micro-climate of giant matures trees that ring the park.
“It’s rare to have a modern city apartment complex located so close to a park. Buyers are blown away by the green views in the middle of the city,” noted Ellerson Property Co-founder Remon Fayad, who set up the development agency with brother Fayad amid the pandemic.
“We all lead such busy lives, often hunched over a computer. So having a green space calling to you through your window is ideal,” says Fayad Fayad.
“As more people live vertically, in apartments, they seek a safe, green space as their community backyard. It is a chance to experience nature and the seasons, a place for the children to let off steam, walk the dog, meet the neighbours. It goes back to that iconic 70’s idea of “Life. Be in It”.
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