A Symphony of Water and Green-Towards a Rebirth of Caogong Canal and a New Fragrant Waterfront Kaohsiung

Urban Greening

In a populous modern city, "garden green-lands" is anorm that reflects people's living quality. Besides regaining ecological balance, park green-lands better urban air quality, reduce noise and provide a public place for people to release their tension. Kaohsiung is a city that constantly demands innovation and improvement. Inorder to better the living environment of citizens, "urban greening" has been a long-term goal of the City Government. Presently, good achievements in urban greening have been made. The improvements in pedestrianization and the construction of many parks and green-lands have wiped a layer of dust off the grayish industrial city and brought a new coat of fresh greenness to Kaohsiung instead. In present, Kaohsiung is actively promoting the work of urban greening and holding onto the goal of becoming a "garden city" one day. The main goals are as follows:

Kaohsiung will actively expand its natural green resources and come to create a natural eco-environment. In addition to parks, green-lands and plaza constructions included within the city plan, there will also be the establishment of various theme parks, in order to enrich all kinds of imagination among citizens.

The trees planted alongside the roads serve the important role of landscape decoration. In the past, tall trees are often forced to live in small, narrow tree holes. Their roots, due to the lack of expansion space, often distort the surface of the sidewalk. This also badly influences the growth of sidewalk trees. However, the narrow and limited growing environment of trees in Kaohsiung City in the past has been taken over by long, rectangular tree holes nowadays. Now, the tree roots have more space to expand freely and these trees happily provide nice cool shades for people to relax in.

3. Linking of Blue belt and Green web-The "Wooded-Boulevard" Street Reconstruction Plan:

Besides the planting of sidewalk trees, Kaohsiung City Government lays out the blueprint of a "Shaded-Boulevard" Street Reconstruction Plan that mainly includes Siwei Road Parkway, Mingshen Parkway, MingChen Road, MingZu Road, Boai Road and QianJing Second Street. Colorful flowers planted along the sidewalks. Different kinds of tall, green trees will be planted according to the change of season. This urban green web, connected to Kaohsiung's synchro-operating blue belt, will form a complete green network.

In order to enhance the comfort quality of citizens' walks and avoid the excessiveness of luxurious enjoyment, the City Government have constructed the "WuFu Pedestrian Path", "Urban Spotlight", "Wind Chimes Pedestrian Path" and the "Civic Art Boulevard", etc. These new constructions break away from the traditional phenomenon of seeing "cars" as the main subject. Nowadays, the main subjects have become the pedestrians.

The garden green-lands in the city allow us the chance to breath in fresh air in our busy daily lives. They help to release our daily pressure and to regain strength and energy. Unknowingly, Kaohsiung has already changed into a coat of new freshness. Take a look at the already changed and renovated green sidewalk scenery. Take another look at the tall trees that are free from expansion growth limits and see how they create lovely shades for pedestrians. Kaohsiung has become so beautiful. We ought to cherish the efforts made by the City Government. Let us all help to maintain this city the way as it is now. Only by doing so can the new greenness of Kaohsiung remain forever.