Parking the Problem?

There is an interesting account of the multiple uses of a park in Leeds (https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2020/sep/29/joggers-and-drinkers-what-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-leeds-park-tells-us-about-modern-britain). That park is used for socialising, exercise and contemplation, all things that are of fundamental importance to people in our Covid-19 affected country. The park is used by a wide variety of age groups and at different times of the day (from early morning to the evening) Parks are, of course, of particular importance to people who live in an urban location but who don't have access to a garden. The ease of getting to the nearest park also varies widely across the country. Most people, living in London, are within a 10 minute walk from their nearest green space but the situation is much worse in some Northern cities. Although the utility of having access to a park is very clear, local councils (already under severe financial pressures) are not legally required to provide access to such places. In deed, the provision of parks can be one of the first things to go when local economies are needed. It seems obvious that our current parks need to be protected and new ones created (as standard) across all areas of the UK. It's the only thing that is keeping some people sane and reasonably healthy.