Our Future Playgrounds

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 615, 18 March 1929, Page 8

Our Future Playgrounds

Auckland’s Shortage of Parks BASED upon standard requirements set by town-planners. Auckland is short of parks and reserves by 1,869 aeres. This deficiency is being closely studied by a committee of experts with the idea of ensuring enough clear open spaces for the city of the future.

In law it becomes necessary to allocate only 5 per cent, of land subdivisions to parks and reserves, bat expert town-planners have set 10 per cent, of the total area as the minimum ideal. From intense caeulative study they estimate that 10 per cent, is the lowest that could be allowed in cities where a happy and healthy community is the social ideal. Auckland City and suburbs fall far short of this requirement. As the population grows, buildings are closing in upon the few green specks which represent the people’s playground, land prices are soaring sympathetically, and golden opportunities of pur-

chasing recreation areas at reasonable figures are slipping from the grasp of local authorities. In the district embracing Auckland City and its eight suburbe, 1,050 acres have been set aside for parks and reserves; the Town-planning Association considers there should be just under 3,000 acres. The city itself, with a population of 88,240, has laid aside 653 acres, or 7.6 of its total, in parks. To every acre so allocated there are 136 people. The intense congestion of building in the metropolitan area explains in a measure the lack of playgrounds in proportion to the population and size of the locality, but when the figures are studied it is discovered that some of the progressive suburbs are in a position much less satisfactory than that of the city.

Newmarket Borough, for example, has a population of 3,200 and an area of 172 acres. Six acres only have been devoted to parks, or 3.8 per cent.

of the small total, leaving 533 people to every acre set aside. Iu Newmarket, however, tiiere is not the urgent call for parks that is to be heard ill the outer suburbs, for the city sports grounds cater for the people living within a stone's throw of the city boundary. It is in the growing districts within 20 minutes or half an hour of Queen Street that the development of parks and reserves will be required a few years hence. Mount Eden, one of the most popular residential boroughs, with a population of 15,050, has placed 6.1 per cent, of its 1.430 acres apart tor playgrounds, and is declared by the town-planners to be still 56 acres short of the minimum requirement. Mount Albert Borough is 175 acres short, having allocated only 2.S per cent, of its acreage; Mount Roskill, with its huge area of nearly 5,000 acres, so far has placed to reserves only 35 acres, or 0.75 per cent, and is deficient by 340 acres; Avondale, possessing an acreage of 4,500 acres, is little better, having devoted 63 acres, or 1.8 per cent, of its total to parks, and lacks its quota by 30. acres. Tamaki, New Lynn and Henderson, all comparatively new suburbs, cannot be expected to show great allocations for reserves, as their development is practically in its infancy. As the land is cut up for residential purposes, however, it will be found that the present 112 acres which Tamaki ha's set aside out of its total of 5,700 acres will have to be increased if the recreation of future generations is to be catered for. New Lynn, too, will be expected by future town-planners to increase its present ratio of 1.0 per cent, of its 1,280 acres, and Henderson, a suburb which is growing rapidly, probably will change the percentage of 0.95 per cent, as at present to something like the minimum quota of 10 per cent, of its 1,261 acres. Tamaki has 458 acres to pick up, and New Lynn and Henderson each have 114 acres. QUICK ACTION SOUGHT A close study of this lack of reserves space in Auckland has been made by the Auckland Town-planning Association, and a special committee has been deputed to investigate thoroughly the possibility of rectifying it. The committee, which consists of men and women closely associated with planning and park development, will endeavour to impress local authorities with their responsibilities in providing for the future, and, if possible, will suggest definite areas which could be purchased and adapted for these purposes. It is the belief of the association that the sooner a start is made, the cheaper and more successful will be the result. Every day’s delay means the permanent loss of great opportunities, particularly in the possible purchase of lands which are now being offered at comparatively cheap rates, but which, if left, cannot be bought for less than double their present price.