Parks shorter-lived than flowers

On the crest of the Taipei International Flora Exhibition wave, around 70 temporary public parks came to life in 12 districts, and similarly, as the curtain is set to fall on the exhibition so too will these temporary public parks fade into obscurity. These temporary parks fall a long way short of the governments so called, ‘temporary green space’, and exactly what benefit have these parks had on our lives? After spending disproportionately huge sums of taxpayers money for short-term benefits and short-lived green spaces, what will replace these ‘fake parks’ once they vanish. Looming ahead is the saddening certainty that building after building will be constructed on the sites as they become vacant, inevitably taking a toll on the natural environment. Originally, these ‘fake parks’ were merely a short-sighted policy of ‘Taipei International Flora Exhibition’, however surprisingly, it seems that it may become standard policy and be here to stay under the banner of “Facilitating City Regeneration”. 

Accordingly, it is highly likely that on the second sitting of the City Council, 19 amended policies will be passed, further increasing the volume of ‘fake parks’, giving even more excessive awards flora competitions, and all for the benefit of real estate profiteers. In response to this move TMD Taipei City Development Research Centre entered the flora exhibition and began distributing shrubs to visitors in a bid to express the worry that this move has caused. The TMD prepared a variety of 80 fragrant shrubs to distribute amongst the exhibition goers including Michelia fulgens Dandy, Taiwanese cherry and Sweet Osmanthus to name but a few. Those who received a shrub were encouraged to take it home and plant it in the vicinity of the ‘fake parks’, since these parks will most likely follow closely behind the exhibition and similarly disappear. Of course small saplings and shrubs slowly grow to become great bushes and giant trees. It is hoped that through this activity people will become aware that we must build a relationship with the environment around us and not simply sit back and wait for government officials and profiteers to decide what our city space should look like. 

Parks shorter-lived than flowers (by CJ dino.utopia)

URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/75095

(以下是中文對照)

鮮花借你放一下？ (公民記者 dino.utopia)

花博即將閉幕，因應花博而生，遍佈12行政區的70座假公園，也即將隨著養護時間一一到期而消失。短期假公園並不如市府所宣稱的「可移動綠地」，對生態有 何正面助益，相反的，為了製造假公園所付出的代價，如不成比例的高額容積獎勵，將在假公園消失後，一一變身高樓，反而造成更嚴重的環境負荷。

本來是花博期間的短視政策，如今在「加速都市更新」的大旗下，居然即將常態化、法制化。在本次市議會會期中，極可能二讀通過「都更自治條例19條修正案」 增列假公園可得容積獎勵的條款，浮濫增列容積獎勵項目，為建商牟取暴利。為此，TMD「台北都會發展研究中心」在花博入場處，用發送樹苗的方式，和參觀花 博的民眾，表達我們的憂慮。TMD準備了80棵小樹苗，含笑、山櫻花、桂花，等芳香樹種，發送給參與花博的朋友們，鼓勵大家帶回，種在自家附近的假公園上 面，花博雖然即將閉幕，假公園也可能隨著都更啟動而消失，但當小樹苗慢慢向下扎根，小樹慢慢長成大樹，我們都應該一起學習意識到這塊土地與我們的關係，而 不是被政府和建商決定我們的都市空間！

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