Service quality continuously improved through site-specific policies and rotational maintenance mechanisms

QINGDAO DAILY / GUANHAI NEWS - Designating open and shared areas to allow citizens to enter and utilize green spaces marks a significant enhancement in park management philosophy. A reporter from the Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry has learned that, to date, the city has opened 76 shared green spaces, covering a total area of 542 hectares, including 61 hectares of lawns. Citizens and tourists can engage in activities such as tent camping, leisure, and fitness in designated areas, achieving "zero-distance" contact with urban green spaces.

To further standardize the management of open and shared urban green spaces and create well-ordered, well-equipped shared urban green spaces, Qingdao has formulated the "Guidelines for the Management of Open and Shared Urban Green Spaces in Qingdao (Trial)" based on its management practices. The guidelines regulate these open areas in terms of scope, general principles, site selection requirements, and management measures, promoting the transformation of green spaces from being merely "viewable" to "accessible," and from "sightseeing" to "sharing."
In practice, Qingdao adheres to the principles of "open all that can be opened, a category-specific approach, all-ages-friendly, and co-governance," expanding the types of open and shared green spaces according to local conditions. Currently, a number of parks and green areas, including Zhongshan Park, Fushan Forest Park, Xiaomai Island Park, Navy Park, Baishahe Sports Park, Licang District Cultural Park, Cangkou Park, Baihuayuan, and Huiquan Square, have become popular recreational spots for the public.
The opening of green spaces relies on refined urban management for support. To this end, Qingdao implements site-specific policies and a rotational maintenance mechanism for the opened shared green spaces. Parks actively build a good governance model of co-construction, co-governance, and sharing through various means, such as setting up clear signposts, improving supporting facilities, strengthening sanitation and safety management, and promptly discouraging uncivilized behavior. Furthermore, Qingdao also emphasizes leveraging the social functions of green spaces by encouraging public-welfare activities like cultural promotion and science popularization, and guiding volunteer services to participate in green space management, thereby enhancing public engagement in the co-construction, co-protection, and sharing of these areas.
The opening and sharing of urban green spaces not only expand the recreational space for citizens but also enhance the city's ecological service functions and its human touch. Qingdao will continue to promote the improvement of service quality in shared green spaces by launching an "Exquisite Shared Green Spaces" selection event, allowing green spaces to be better integrated into the lives of citizens. (By Liu Dong, Qingdao Daily / Guanhai News)

Editor: Yuan Ruichen