Shanghai residents living in "public houses" can expect to enjoy
more green space in their communities this year, one of the
environmental-friendly goals the city vows to achieve in its bid to
join the list of "Garden City" in the country.
"Public houses" are apartments that were bought or built by
companies and allotted to employees before the 1990s in a housing
welfare system, which has been phased out. The majority of the
houses were built before the 1990s, and the environment is poor
with little green space.
"Only 5 percent of the land in some old communities are covered
with trees, while the green space coverage reaches 36 percent in
newly built residential projects," said Hu Yunhua, director of the
Shanghai Gardening Administrative Bureau.
The city government will invest 25 million yuan (US$3 million) to
plant more trees and grass in the old communities, ensuring 20
percent of the land is green space.
To
be a "Garden City," 35 percent of a metropolis' public land should
be covered with green plants, while per capita green space should
be 7 square meters, which the city has already achieved. The city's
green coverage rate was just 30 percent until last year.
However, money is still needed for daily maintenance in the old
communities. Residents currently pay about four to seven yuan a
month as property management fee, which was set in 1996. But it is
"too little to improve the environment," said the Office of
Shanghai Public Housing Management yesterday.
In
comparison, those who live in privately owned housing have to pay
more than 100 yuan a month.
(eastday.com June 6, 2003)